Saint Sophia Cathedral Communiqué DECEMBER 6, 2015 10 th Sunday of Saint Luke
FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES EXECUTIVE OFFICERS George E. Preonas, President; James A. Demetriou, PhD, Vice President; Constantine M. Boukidis, Secretary; Tina Callas, Treasurer MEMBERS V. Rev. Fr. John S. Bakas; Timi Loomos Freshman; Alek Haidos; Steven C. Hanna; Gig Kyriacou; Brent A. Noyes; John T. Pappas; Jim Zaferis PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS Anthony A. Demetriou, Presidential Assistant; John G. Marakas III, Sr. V.P. of Wells Fargo, Advisor to the Board; Andrew J. Demetriou, Foundation General Counsel PARISH COUNCIL BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE OFFICERS Brent A. Noyes, President; Dean Peratsakis, Vice President; Peter Triantafyllos, Treasurer; Karen Sarames, Secretary; Jeanine Hanna, Corresponding Secretary MEMBERS Bertha Angels; Jonas Metin; Costa Bargeliotes; Peter Cosfol; Mauro Metini; George Rizkalla; Dorothy Spirus; William Bill Striglos, Anna Yallourakis; Dinah Wellington, Chris Stavaridis; Associate Member BOARD OF AUDITORS: Jim Ananias; Anthony A. Demetriou; Tom Moore Saint Sophia Cathedral 1324 S. Normandie Ave Los Angeles, CA 90006 Office: 323.737.2424 Fax: 323.737.7029 www.stsophia.org/bulletin When you write your will or update it, won t you please remember Saint Sophia Cathedral? Such a gift will live forever as our church ministers to our spiritual needs. It s an investment in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
PHILOPOTOHOS NEWS Dear Members and Friends of Philoptohos, As you can see each week, we are a very busy group of dedicated women of all ages who help the needy and poor. We hope that you will support our efforts and we encourage you to join our ministry. Please contact V.P. Jan Pastras, our Membership Chair for more information. Also, we are most grateful to the families of Irene Poullos, Deon Burk and Helene Ballas (women of blessed memory) who have chosen to donate to Philoptohos in lieu of funeral flowers. These monies help with our tremendous outreach expenses. We welcome you to stop by our table during Coffee Hour most every Sunday, where you will be greeted by the wonderful women of Philoptohos. Thank you to the many people who support our mission, allowing us to do the work of our Lord. May God bless you and your families with a safe and blessed Christmas Holiday and a Happy New Year filled with good health and much happiness! In Christ s service, Judith Christopoulos, Philoptohos President and all Board Members 2
PHILOPOTOHOS NEWS Please note We are collecting names of Philoptohos members who are homebound and need a visit. Please call the Sunshine Committee Chairs Sonia 818) 881.8321 or Pauline 818) 784.5178 with names. IMPORTANT~ Philoptohos is selling See s Candies during the holidays to benefit our seminarian & students endowment fund...bapsaef Call Scarlett (310)214-6711 for more info. See flier attached. Please mark on your calendar the following dates and events. DECEMBER 4TH ~ BENEFIT FOR ST. NICHOLAS CHURCH & SHRINE at World Trade Center, Assumption Church, Long Beach $20. Donation Contact: Diana Jianas (949) 422-9504; DianaJianas@msn.com You can help by donating just $20 today toward this fund. Our Philoptohos ladies will be in the hall accepting donations. DECEMBER 10TH ~ PHILOPTOHOS CHRISTMAS PARTY to be held at the Christopoulos home, Pasadena. All Philoptohos members welcomed. Please call Dorothea Ales by Monday for reservations 818. 990.6241; alesd@att.net REMEMBER to SAVE THE DATE ~ SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2016 for Evening with Friends. 3
MINISTRY NEWS 1. Thursday, December 10: Philoptohos Christmas Party 2. Saturday, December 12: Light the Path Luncheon 3. Saturday, December 12: The Sound of Music 4. Sunday, December 13: AHEPA Annual Christmas Party 5. Tuesday, December 15: Philoptohos V.I.P. Christmas Luncheon LIFE IN FAITH STUDIES Fr. John S. Bakas Increase your knowledge about our faith at our weekly Bible study class. You ll have a chance to ask Fr. John questions and engage in interesting discussions with your fellow parishioners in a casual setting. Don t miss this wonderful opportunity to grow in your faith. Classes meet in the General Assembly Room. Co-Ed Bible Studies classes are every Wednesday at 10:30 am. CHRISTMAS EVE AND CHRISTMAS DAY LITURGY Christmas Eve Vesperal Liturgy service will begin at 4:00 pm. Christmas Day Divine Liturgy will begin at 10 am. CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS Donations are being accepted for Cathedral Christmas flowers and for the Ikona of the Nativity of out Lord. Your donations can be made in any amount large or small, Please include on your Check Christmas Flowers you may see Jimmy for additional information. Merry Christmas. 4
YOUNG PEOPLE - LEARN BYZANTINE CHANT! Our assistant chanter, Michael Kontaxis will be offering simple instruction and easy to learn Byzantine music to youngsters from ages 8 to all who are young at heart. We are looking for boys and girls to learn to chant, especially for the Orthros service, prior to the Divine Liturgy and other services as well. We hope the class will begin after the Sunday Divine Liturgy. If your youngsters are interested (please encourage them) call our office and sign up. The future of our liturgical services must be preserved by our youth. All will not only learn to chant but also learn the beautiful spiritual meaning behind the hymns. Please get involved. HUFFINGTON CENTER AT SAINT SOPHIA CATHEDRAL Are you looking to impress your guests? With beautiful rooms, ample parking and a state-of-the-art kitchen, Saint Sophia Cathedral s Huffington Center is well equipped to host your next big event. Our eloquent and spacious Maniatakos Ballroom is a perfect fit for wedding receptions, family reunions, business meetings, or fundraisers! For a more intimate setting the Maria Maniatakos Pavilion is a beautiful setting to create wonderful memories. Share the word with friends and associates. Please call the office or send an email to events@huffingtoncenter.org to schedule a tour and set the date for your event. 5
PHILOPTOHOS V.I.P CHRISTMAS PARTY TUESDAY, December 15th: V.I.P. Christmas Luncheon at 11:00 a.m. at the Maniatakos Fellowship Hall. Following a delicious luncheon, we will enjoy a Christmas musical program feauturing our very talented parishioner Korinna Kaplanis. Donation is $25.00. Co-Chairs for the event are Mersy Loukaris (323) 661-1592 and Faye Demetriou (818) 981-6088. Please it is very important to call for reservations by December 7, for catering arrangements. Make your check payable to Philoptohos V.I.P., and mail to: Mersy Loukaris 3841 Edenhurst, Los Angeles, CA 90039. Thank you, In His Service, Athina Lolonis, VIP President SAINT SOPHIA SUNDAY SCHOOL Saint Sophia Sunday School is currently collecting shoeboxes filled with treasures for underprivileged children ages 2-14. We welcome participation from our entire parish so we may meet our goal of 100 shoeboxes for 2015. For detailed information on Operation Christmas Child, please visit: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/ pack-a-shoe-box. Or come by the Sunday School office to pick up a shoebox and brochure. 6
THE ART OF THE GREEK DANCE WHEN: Saturday, January 16 to March 14, 2016 WHERE: St. Sophia Huffington Community Center TIME: 10 AM 11:45 AM FEE: $140 First Time / $120 Returning/$100 Students INSTRUCTOR: Ramsay Seikaly, ramdonseik@hotmail.com CONTACT: St. Sophia 323-737-2424 Ramsay Seikaly 818-929-1180 THE HELLENIC SOCIETY OF CONSTANTINOPLE The Hellenic Society of Constantinople will celebrate their 49th Annual Vasilopita Dinner Dance on January 23, 2016 at the Wilshire Country Club, 301 N. Rossmore Ave., Los Angeles, The evening will include music, dancing and the traditional cutting of Vasilopita with the gold coin. For information, please call Mary Morrison at (818)500-0904 or Jeanette Owens Benedatos at (323)660-5705. 7
"JOY OF PARENTING" CLASSES IN THE HUFFINGTON CENTER RESUME IN NOVEMBER Join your fellow parishioners in a lively discussion of parenting children of all ages. Classes are held in the Work/ Study Room in the Huffington Center, upstairs, near the leftside staircase, immediately following Holy Communion and concluding at 12:15 p.m. Come with your concerns and questions or just listen; there is no pressure to speak to the class. It s a wonderful way to become acquainted with other parents. There is no fee to attend. The Joy of Parenting Ministry is facilitated by Barbara Kappos, LCSW and Dr. Nik Stefanidis, Ph.D. Upcoming classes: December 6 Monitoring Your Children, and December 13 The Importance of Family Traditions." ATTENTION SUNDAY SCHOOL FAMILIES The first two pews on the left side are reserved for Sunday School children and their parents. Please take advantage of this up-close view of Divine Liturgy. Planning Ahead: Feb. 6, 2016: Greek Dance Groups Annual Glendi 8
Inner Stillness Meditation At the Huffington Center of Saint Sophia Cathedral Happiness and Spirituality A new monthly, eight-session expanded version of the initial Inner Stillness Meditation workshop On Monday nights following the first weekend of every month, 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm presented by Maria Baltazzi, Meditation Teacher and Purveyor of Happiness, V. Rev. Fr. John Bakas, Dean of Saint Sophia Cathedral, and John Kopatsis, Huffington Center Director Each session will cover a specific topic. The teachings are based on Maria s studies in the field of Happiness and Orthodox Spirituality. There will be group exercises to highlight the week's teachings, along with the discussion of the topic. We will be closing with a group Prayer of the Heart meditation to discover how Inner Stillness Meditation can benefit the participants and the world around them. Time will be given at the end for everyone s questions and feedback. Call 323-737-2424 for more information and registration. Science and Spirituality Four sessions of science and spirituality talks as integral aspects of a unified world at the Huffington Center of Saint Sophia Cathedral, 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm February 4, 2015, March 10, 2016, April 7, 2016 and May 12, 2016 presented by Dr. Menas C. Kafatos with Maria Baltazzi, and V. Rev. Fr. John Bakas 9
Session Date Topic 1 November 9, 2015 "Happiness and Spirituality" Faith. 2 December 7, 2015 "Happiness and Spirituality" Love 3 January 11, 2016 "Happiness and Spirituality" Health 4 February 8, 2016 "Happiness and Spirituality" Peace 5 March 7, 2016 "Happiness and Spirituality" Gratitude 6 April 4, 2016 "Happiness and Spirituality" Forgiveness. 7 May 8, 2016 "Happiness and Spirituality" Detachment 8 June 6, 2016 "Happiness and Spirituality" Abundance Dr. Menas C. Kafatos, Ph. D., is a quantum physicist and international writer on science. He is The Fletcher Jones Endowed Professor of Computational Physics at Chapman University. He received his B.A. in Physics from Cornell University in 1967 and his Ph.D. in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1972. He is the Founding Dean of the Schmid College of Science and Technology at Chapman University, serving as dean in 2009 2012. He directs the Center of Excellence in Earth Systems Modeling and Observations. He has published numerous books including The Conscious Universe, The Non-local Universe, Principles of Integrative Science, and the forthcoming book The Creative Cosmos with Deepak Chopra; and more than 300 articles in computational science, astrophysics, Earth systems science, hazards and global climate change, regional impacts of climate change, environmental issues, general relativity, cosmology, quantum mechanics, and consciousness. He has written and lectured extensively on the convergence between science and philosophy to promote discourse between science, spirituality, and religion. 10
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Saint Sophia Cathedral is proud to present special screening of a special film with a special guest Introducing the 20th Century Fox production of Rogers and Hammerstein s The Sound of Music to a new generation of families Please join us for a special Christmas presentation with guest Kym Karath, who appeared in the role of Gretl, the youngest Von Trapp daughter Saturday December 12, 2015, 2:00 pm - Free will offering 13
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