S a i n t S o p h i a s G r e e k O r t h o d o x C h u r c h W a r i n g R o a d S y r a c u s e, N e w Y o r k

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1 Spiritual watchfulness and alertness. Watch, therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming (Matthew 24:42) S a i n t S o p h i a s G r e e k O r t h o d o x C h u r c h W a r i n g R o a d S y r a c u s e, N e w Y o r k P h o n e ( ) F a x ( ) Presanctified Liturgy FEBRUARY 2019 NEPSIS I want us to get ready for Lent by thinking about the Presanctified Liturgy. What can be said about this beautiful service of the church? Not enough people attend, it s a great help for those who are fasting, and it will revolutionize our spiritual lives. First, not enough people attend the Presanctified Liturgy. This is a Liturgy served in the dark, so much is unseen. Unfortunately, one of the unseen things in the Presanctified Liturgy is people. My hope is that every Wednesday and Friday of Lent we will fill the church. All of us should enjoy, benefit from, love, absorb, and bask in this Divine service of our Church. It s a quiet, prayerful liturgy designed to bring our minds back from wandering, so that we can find peace in the Kingdom of God. Second, the Presanctified Liturgy is a great help for those who are fasting. Why do we have this service during Lent? The church has decreed that 1) the weekdays of Lent are not the time to celebrate the joyous and resplendent Divine Liturgy, but, 2) the weekdays of Lent are just the time when we need to be in church more than any other time of the year. What s the answer? A Liturgy an opportunity to take Holy Communion but one that is quiet and meditative. Introspective, in keeping with the character of the season. Thus it came to be that St. Gregory the Great (also known as the Dialogist because of a book he wrote - and Pope of Rome because he was the Pope of Rome) wrote the Presanctified Liturgy (he actually organized oral traditions already in use). This service is for those who are fasting, who are keeping some sort of ascetic observance during Lent. The Church opens its doors for our support and comfort so that we gain strength to, as the Liturgy says, fight the good fight, to finish the course of the fast, to keep the faith whole, to shatter the heads of unseen dragons, and to show ourselves victorious over sin, and to arrive blamelessly, without condemnation, to worship also Your holy resurrection. For those not fasting, or for those who think church is rather tedious, the Presanctified Liturgy seems unnecessary and boring. But I hope that is not that way for you! The Presanctified Liturgy will revolutionize our spiritual lives if we take the time to attend. Much of the service consists of readings from the Psalms. When we meditate upon the meaning of those words in the light of our Lord s death and resurrection, we come to a right understanding of the real reason the Church spends so much time in that book of the Bible: The Psalms are the heartfelt cry of those seeking God. Just like us! They are words written so long ago that, at first reading, they re almost unintelligible and yet, in the context of Lent, they speak to our hearts clearly and miraculously. This happens in the Presanctified Liturgy. Another way that the Presanctified Liturgy will revolutionize our spiritual lives is by teaching us how to attend the Divine Liturgy on Sundays. Those who come to Church to be entertained will find the Presanctified Liturgy impossible. In order to get it, the Presanctified Liturgy requires the work of worship. We need to worship without the expectation of entertainment, to quiet our hearts, focus our minds, fill our souls. The Presanctified is the trainingground, brothers and sisters, and we feel the difference on Sunday when we ve attended the service on Wednesday or Friday. Or both. Wednesday nights at 6 pm (mostly English) and Friday mornings at 9 am (Παρασκευή εννέα - όλα τα ελληνικά).come and experience this rich tradition of our Greek Orthodox Church! Your affectionate servant, Father David 2019 Parish Council Peter Manolakos President Thomas Anthis Jr. Vice President Dimitrios Kiritsis Secretary Michael Copanas Treasurer Robert Allen Nicholas Anastasiou Dean Assimon George Nardone Christopher Shiomos, OD James Telonis, MD Christ Tzetzis Honorary Board Members James Sakezles Eleanor Theodore VISIT THE PARISH WEBSITE stsophias.org

2 P a g e 2 SATURDAYS OF SOULS MARCH 2, :00 am Orthros 10:00 am Divine Liturgy MACRH 9, :00 am Orthros 10:00 am Divine Liturgy MARCH 16, :00 am Orthros 10:00 am Divine Liturgy Forgiveness Vespers Sunday, VESPERS March 10 OF FORGIVENESS at 5:00 pm Sunday, February 26 at 5:00 pm BEGINS MARCH 11

3 P a g e 3 Dear Parish, P R E S I D E N T S M E S S A G E I must begin my first President s message by thanking Peter Lemoniades for his many years of service on the parish council and his three years as its President. Peter also served and continues to serve as Chair of the Festival. Both these jobs can take a great deal of time. That he did both for three years is nothing short of amazing. So when you next see Peter remember to thank him for his dedication to St Sophia s. The church complex repairs continue with an estimated completion date of mid to late February. As you observe the progress you may have noticed some new chairs in the lower lobby and a new conference table and chairs in the boardroom. Thanks to Joy Anthis we acquired all this furniture at no cost. Thanks also to John Potamianos for donating his time to refinishing and staining the boardroom conference table, and to those who transported all the furniture to St Sophia s. While the Festival is months away (June 6-9), preparations will soon begin. Volunteers are needed to work during the Festival and to work preparing for it. Keep an eye out for the schedule of Festival activities that occur prior to June 6-9. If you do not already volunteer for this early work, step up and join in. We would appreciate your help. Preparations for Greek Independence Day celebrations are underway. The Independence Day/Annunciation events will be held in the church gymnasium on Sunday, March 24th. Flag raising will take place at City Hall at 3:00 pm on Monday, March 25th. AHEPA will sponsor a bus from church to City Hall, arriving at church at 1:00 pm for a 2:00 pm departure to City Hall. There will be no charge for taking the bus. The bus will accommodate 50 to 55 people, first come first serve. Regarding the survey, we are seeing some common threads in the survey responses. Once the responses are compiled and reviewed, we will announce when we will present the survey results to the parish. We think you will find the results interesting. Finally, the Parish Council and the church s Administrative Assistant have begun a very labor intensive project of making our current parish data system fully operational and integrating it with a new accounting program. This new system will allow us to more efficiently maintain parishioner records and provide support to our ministries. This technology is a tool that we believe will help our ministries in their efforts to thrive and grow. Yours in Christ, Peter Manolakos Parish Council President

4 P a g e 4 Stewardship Corner Many thanks to those of you who have submitted a completed survey. At the time of this writing we have 110 responses, a 20% return. More come in every day. If you are planning to complete it, (paper or Survey Monkey) remember the deadline is February 16. Also it is the time of year when we make our stewardship pledges. You may send it in, drop it off in the pedestal stands in the lobby, hand it to a parish council member, drop it off at the church office, or mail it in. The Parish Council thanks all of our stewards so many of whom give time and talent as well as treasure. We are grateful for your generosity, your understanding of the needs of the church, and all the work that so many of you do. The Stewardship Committee Men s Study Group The Men s Group book study of Crime and Punishment starts on Tuesday February 12, 2019 at 5:00 pm. Get the book in the bookstore soon. It s a long novel! Ask Father The ever popular feature column Ask Father will be starting up again with the March 2019 Nepsis. This is your chance to ask any question you want to Father David in person, via or text. Questions will be answered each month in the Nepsis, no names will be included. Ask anything! Probably many people have the same question as you do, and this is your chance to find the answer. DISCRETIONARY FUND Thank you to all those for their continuing donations to the Discretionary Fund of St. Sophia s Greek Orthodox Church. This fund is used to meet the emergency needs of people (members and non-members) who come to our Church as matter of last resort. Their stories are often heartbreaking, and it is a great ministry of this parish that I have the freedom to offer them some kind of help, so that they can see a ray of hope in their situation. Please consider making a donation to the Discretionary Fund. God bless you for your participation in this important outreach. Thank you! Father David

5 P a g e 5 February 3, 2019 All Godparents and Godchildren should prepare to come to Church and receive Holy Communion together. Plan to attend the Complimentary Breakfast that follows. If your Godparent or Godchild lives out of town, send them a card or call them and encourage them to go to their Church and receive Holy Communion on Godparents Sunday. When you come to Church, light a special candle for your Godparent or Godchild February 3, 2019 Please donate cans of soup to help the needy All donations will be given to the Jamesville Dewitt Ecumenical Food Pantry Please drop off your donations to the upper level kitchen Thank you for your generosity!

6 P a g e 6 AHEPA News Chapter #37 ~ Syracuse, NY AHEPA Chapter 37 wishing you a Happy and Healthy New Year. Our next meeting is Saturday, February 16 th 2:00 pm at the upper level of our church. We have a lot to plan and we need everyone in order to accomplish those plans. Our agenda is as follows: - Our existing scholarship awards. -Newly formed scholarship. -Vote delegates and alternates for the National Convention 2019 in Chicago. -AHEPA Day May 19 th, Chapter is sponsoring the social hour at church. - Flags at Oakwood May 25, 2019 at 11:30 am (Please use registration form in the NEPSIS) -Honoring the parish veterans to be announced ***** Special announcement***** We are looking for ladies in our Parish to reactivate the Daughters of Penelope Chapter, an equal partner in the AHEPA Family. There is no cost to be a member, just a rewarding feeling promoting the Hellenic language, culture and ideals to our community, and to our kids and grandkids. Interested come to any of our meetings or call Mike Labatos (315) George Sakellariou, President Mike Labatos, Vice President AHEPA CAFENION Let s all get together and have some fun at St. Sophia s CAFENION every Saturday! Join us to have a good time, meet with your friends, old and new, and any age is welcome! ALL IS FREE! We will have all the Greek Pastimes every Saturday from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM! Coffee, Tea, Mezethes (Snacks), Greek & American Television (a 50 Inch Screen), Tavli (Backgammon), Cards, and Much More! We extend an open invitation to the entire Parish Community. A Special Invitation to the ladies, especially those that knit and crochet. Come and share your talents, learn and teach with others, bring your yarns, needles and threads! We hope to see you at the St. Sophia CAFENION! Sponsored by AHEPA Chapter 37. Enjoy Greek Coffee & Tea! Enjoy Mezethes! Speak Greek! Mingle with Great Company!

7 P a g e 7 AHEPA CHAPTER #37 MEMORIAL DAY HONORING DECEASED AMERICAN & HELLENIC VETERANS At Oakwood Cemetery by placing the American and Hellenic Flags Upon completion of this form, please to Mike Labatos alpharealtyofsyracuse@gmail.com or call (315) Deceased Veteran (as appears on head stone) Section Lot # Grave # Deceased Veteran (as appears on head stone) Section Lot # Grave # Deceased Veteran (as appears on head stone) Section Lot # Grave # Full name of person making request: Phone Please note: Form needs to be submitted by May 14, 2019 For information contact Mike Labatos at (315) or at alpharealtyofsyracuse@gmail.com

8 P a g e 8 PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS Thank you to all the ladies who baked Vasilopita and to all the parishioners who donated to the Vasilopita Sunday event. The proceeds from this event are going to St Basil Academy. Congratulations to those parishioners who found a coin in their piece of Vasilopita. We are currently planning several activities to be held in March including the annual Cheese Fare lunch March 10 and the Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers service and coffee hour March 17. A basket of gift cards will be raffled off at the Cheese fare Sunday luncheon. Look for more information regarding these events in the weekly church bulletin. We are requesting members to help us to establish a distribution list that will allow us to send out information received from National and Metropolis. This distribution list will also be used to send out event reminders to the membership. We hope to be able to use or text messaging to keep in contact with our membership. We are looking forward to being able to hold our Easter Bake Sale. It will be held April 19 and 20 as long as the construction is completed as expected during February. Our next meeting will be Sunday February 17 after coffee hour. Hope to see you there. Yours in Christ, Maria Allis Philoptochos President February 14th

9 P a g e 9 February 2019 Memorials Eternal Be Their Memory February 3, 2019 Memorial Service for Hristina Telonis (1 Year) Trisagion Prayer for Magdalini Morena (5 Years) Trisagion Prayer for Dimitrios Morenas (42 Years) February 10, 2019 Memorial Service for Michael Stark (40 Days) Memorial Service for Helen Armatas (3 Years) Trisagion Prayer for Theodora Pandelly (28 Years) Trisagion Prayer for James Pandelly (53 Years) February 17, 2019 Memorial Service for Helen Delaporta Faraino (3 Years) Trisagion Prayer for James Evangel Bower (2 Years) February 24, 2019 Memorial Service for Dene Zografos (40 Days) February 2019 Coffee Hours February 3, 2019 In Memory of Hristina Telonis, given by her sister, Anastasia Elovaris February 10, 2019 In Memory of Helen Armatas, In Memory of Theodora Pandelly, In Memory of James Pandelly, given by their family February 2019 Ladies Volunteering To Serve Coffee Hour A special thank you to the following ladies of our community who have volunteered to donate their time to serve coffee: February 3, 2019 Roslyn Georgakopoulos, Artemis Gilbert, Christina Granato February 10, 2019 Marge Karafilopulos, Adele Karalis, Xanthi Kefallinos February 17, 2019 Lula Kiser, Spirithula Kostakis, Georgia Kousmanidis February 24, 2019 Helen Kovacevski, Katina Levos, Georgia Marinos ~Also, for the first week of March 2019~ March 3, 2019 Anthoula Malelis, Zoe Malelis, Freida Meskos PHILOPTOCHOS COFFEE HOURS Just a reminder that there will be no sponsored Coffee Hours on Stewardship Sunday, Godparents Sunday and Cheesefare Sunday. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ If you are interested in scheduling a Coffee Hour, please call the Church Office. Fees for sponsoring a Coffee Hour are as follows, payable to Philoptochos: $50.00 Fee Philoptochos will provide and serve the coffee, milk, sugar and juice. Parishioner must provide pastries. $ Fee Philoptochos will provide and serve the coffee, milk, sugar, juice and pastries.

10 P a g e 10 FEBRUARY 2019 Program Schedule For Cable Television All Programs Air on Spectrum (Time Warner) Cable Chanel 98 in Onondaga County Feb 3 Angels Sunday Programs at 7:00 pm Feb 10 Sunday Before Triodion Feb 17 Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee Feb 24 Sunday of the Prodigal Son Monday Programs at 7:00 pm Feb 4 The Ancient Church Feb 11 The Early Russian Mission to Alaska Feb 18 Icons and Frescoes from Greece Feb 25 A Theology in Colors Family Classic TV Sponsored by St. Sophia s Greek Orthodox Church Sundays at 6:00 pm ~ Sir Lancelot with William Russell Sundays at 6:30 pm ~ The Adventures of Robin Hood with Richard Greene Sundays at 8:00 pm ~ The Cisco Kid with Duncan Renaldo & Leo Carrillo (2 episodes) Thursdays at 8:30 pm ~ Sherlock Holmes with Ronald Howard Fridays at 8:00 pm ~ Jim Bowie with Scott Forbes (2 episodes) And on Verizon FIOS Chanel 29 in Onondaga & Cayuga Counties Sunday Programs at 6:30 pm & 7:00 pm (with a repeat on Thursday at 8:30 pm & 9:00 pm) Sunday Programs at 6:30 pm (with a repeat on Thursday at 8:30 pm) Feb 3 Orthodox Liturgical Year Feb 10 Iconography Feb 17 Church Architecture, Vestments, Religious Articles Feb 24 Music in the Orthodox Church Sunday Programs at 7:00 pm (with a repeat on Thursday at 9:00 pm) Feb 3 Jesus Prayer, part 1-Background Feb 10 Jesus Prayer, part 2- Elements Feb 17 Jesus Prayer, part 3- Church s Writings Feb 24 Jesus Prayer, part 4- Context ICONOGRAPHY One Feast Day Icon yet to be sponsored $15, The Last Supper

11 P a g e 11 SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS In February Sunday School Classes are scheduled for February 3 rd, February 10 th, and February 17 th. On February 24 th students will remain in church. Classes begin immediately after communion and continue to 11:45 am. Please note that on March 3 rd, we will be having our Group Sunday School Carnivale! We will set up fun stations to celebrate and prepare for Lent which begins on March 11 th this year. We are hoping to be able to use the downstairs for Carnivale. The downstairs work is expected to be completed by sometime in February. We are hopeful. In addition, we are very excited about getting back into our classrooms! Another important upcoming event is the Saint John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival. St. Sophia parishioners from 7 th grade to high school are eligible to participate. We have set the date for April 7 th. We are asking that students decide on a topic by February 10 th and use the remainder of February and March to work on their speech, essay or poem submission. There are scholarships available and participating can be very helpful to students when they apply for college and/or jobs. Admission officers and employers do look for well rounded people. At this time the essay and poetry categories is parish level only, while the oratorical students can progress to the District, Metropolitan and National level. Please encourage your student to consider selecting the speech category. Their audience will be family and friends who are rooting for their success! Once people overcome their fear of speaking in front of people the world is their oyster. Besides class time we will set up workshops for the students to come in and work on their entry. Thank you for your support and do not hesitate to reach out to me anytime. Liz Steinberg Sunday School Director Telephone (315)

12 P a g e 12 April 7, 2019 Liz Steinberg (315)

13 P a g e 13 JOY Group Parents interested in setting a schedule for the JOY Group will meet on Sunday February 10th following the Divine Liturgy in the upstairs choir area. The Junior Orthodox Youth (JOY) Group is a youth ministry group for elementary age children. Join Us For GREEK SCHOOL Wednesdays at 5:30 PM CHOIR Choir Practice is held at 6:00 pm Wednesday evenings and we welcome everyone to join our Choir Adult Education Tuesday 10:00 am Bible Study Thursday 7:00 pm Bible Study

14 St. Sophia YAL Syracuse It is our great privilege to announce that the one and only Sister Vassa will be coming to Syracuse on March 16, Through funding provided to us by the Telos Project, we will be sponsoring her stay with a lecture and reception that you will not want to miss! Coffee with Sister Vassa: Lecture and Reception March 16, 2019 ~ 11:30 am to 3:00 pm The University Room at Drumlins Sister Vassa is a nun and liturgiologist residing in Vienna, Austria. A native of Nyack, New York, she attended Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania and subsequently began her monastic journey in France. She later completed graduate studies in Orthodox Theology in Germany and Italy, receiving her master and doctoral degrees. Since then, her numerous texts, videos and podcasts have established her as a world-renowned expert in the faith and a great resource to both academics and laypeople alike. To learn more about Sister Vassa, watch one of her most popular programs, Coffee with Sister Vassa, on her YouTube Channel and read her website, where you can find links to her blog and many of her publications. RSVP as soon as possible because seating is limited! RSVP on the event page or by shooting us a message on Facebook or Instagram or at YALStSophia@gmail.com! You can contact Nicole Macris or visit us in coffee hour after church every Sunday. Looking forward to seeing you there!

15 St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church February 2019 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 9:00 AM ORTHROS - PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE 3 16TH SUNDAY OF MATTHEW 8:45 AM ORTHROS FR. DAVID ON RETREAT IN DETROIT 4 FR. DAVID ON RETREAT IN DETROIT 5 FR. DAVID ON RETREAT IN DETROIT GODPARENTS SUNDAY & BREAKFAST SOUPER BOWL SUNDAY 5:30 PM GREEK SCHOOL 6:00 PM CHOIR REHEARSAL 10 SUNDAY OF THE CANAANITE 11 10:00 AM BIBLE STUDY ;00 AM ROMANIAN LITURGY 16 8:45 AM ORTHROS 11:30 AM JOY PARENT MEETING 17 SUNDAY OF THE PUBLICAN & PHARISEE 5:30 PM JESUS PRAYER GROUP 18 5:00 PM MEN S GROUP 10:00 AM BIBLE STUDY 19 5:30 PM GREEK SCHOOL 6:00 PM CHOIR REHEARSAL 7:00 PM YAL LEADERSHIP MEETING 20 6:00 PM PARAKLESIS 7:00 PM BIBLE STUDY 21 7:00 PM YAL ICONOGRAPHY CLASS 2:00 PM AHEPA MEETING :45 AM ORTHROS 11:30 AM PHILOPTOCHOS MEETING 5:00 PM PAN-MACEDONIAN 5:30 PM JESUS PRAYER GROUP 6;00 PM CHOIR REHEARSAL 6:00 PM PARAKLESIS 7:00 PM BIBLE STUDY 24 SUNDAY OF THE PRODIGAL SON 25 10:00 AM BIBLE STUDY :45 AM ORTHROS 5:30 PM JESUS PRAYER GROUP 5:30 PM GREEK SCHOOL 6:00 PM CHOIR REHEARSAL 6:00 PM PARAKLESIS 7:00 PM BIBLE STUDY

16 St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church March SATURDAY OF SOULS 9:00 AM ORTHROS 11:30 AM GOYA PITA MAKING 7:30 PM YAL BOWLING 3 JUDGMENT SUNDAY 8:45 AM ORTHROS 11:30AM GOYA PITA SALE 5:30 PM JESUS PRAYER GROUP 4 10:00 AM BIBLE STUDY 5:00 PM MEN S GROUP 5 6 5:30 PM GREEK SCHOOL 6:00 PM CHOIR REHEARSAL 6:00 PM PARAKLISIS 7:00 PM BIBLE STUDY SECOND SATURDAY OF SOULS 9:00 AM ORTHROS (SERVED WITH ROMANIANS) 10 FORGIVENESS SUNDAY 8:45 AM ORTHROS CHEESEFARE SUNDAY BRUNCH 6:00 PM FORGIVENESS SUNDAY VESPERS LENT BEGINS 11 6:00 PM GREAT COMPLINE 10:00 AM BIBLE STUDY 12 6:00 PM GREAT COMPLINE 13 10:00 AM GREAT COMPLINE 5:30 PM GREEK SCHOOL 6:00 PM PRESANCTIFIED LITURGY 6:00 PM CHOIR REHEARSAL 6:00 PM GREAT COMPLINE :00 AM PRESANCTIFIED LITURGY 6:00 PM AKATHIST HYMN 16 THIRD SATURDAY OF SOULS 9:00 AM ORTHROS 12:15 PM SISTER VASSA LECTURE AT PASCALES 17 SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY 8;45 AM ORTHROS 11:30 AM PHILOPTOCHOS MEETING 6:00 PM SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY VESPERS AT ST.SOPHIA S 5:30 PM JESUS PRAYER GROUP 18 10:00 AM BIBLE STUDY :30 PM GREEK SCHOOL 6:00 PM PRESANCTIFIED LITURGY 6:00 PM CHOIR REHEARSAL :00 AM PRESANCTIFIED LITURGY 6:00 PM SECOND AKATHIST HYMN 23 1:00 PM SYR UNIVERSITY OCF RETREAT AT ST. SOPHIA S 2:00 PM AHEPA MEETING 24 SUNDAY OF ST. GREGORY PALAMAS 8:45 AM ORTHROS 11:30 AM GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION 25 ANNUNCIATION OF THE THEOTOKOS 9:00 AM ORTHROS 10:00 AM LITURGY 3:00 PM GREEK FLAG RAISING AT SYRACUSE CITY HALL 5:30 PM JESUS PRAYER GROUP 10:00 AM BIBLE STUDY :30 PM GREEK SCHOOL 6:00 PM PRESANCTIFIED LITURGY 6:00 PM CHOIR REHEARSAL :30 AM PRESANCTIFIED LITURGY 6:00 PM THIRD AKATHIST HYMN METROPOLIS GOYA LENTEN RETREAT IN SYRACUSE SUNDAY OF THE HOLY CROSS 8:45 AM ORTHROS