Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral God s people, serving God s people 13th of October, 2013 4th Sunday of St. Luke 1324 South Normandie Avenue, Los Angeles, 90006 Office: 323.737.2424 Fax: 323.737.7029 www.stsophia.org www.stsophia.org/bulletin Very Reverend Father John S. Bakas, Dean Reverend Father Allan Boyd, Assistant Priest Office Hours 8:30am - 4:30pm Monday - Friday 1
FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES Executive Officers George E. Preonas, President; Andrew Evangelatos, Executive Vice President; James A. Demetriou, PhD, Vice President & C.F.O.; Constantine M. Boukidis, Secretary; Tina Callas, Treasurer Members V. Rev. Fr. John S. Bakas; Nicholas Bissias; Timi Loomos Freshman; Alek Haidos; Steven C. Hanna; Michael Huffington; 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 Cousel PARISH COUNCIL BOARD OF DIRECTORS Executive Officers Brent A. Noyes, President; John Kopatsis, Vice- President; Irene Andreadis, Recording Secretary; Karen Sarames, Corresponding Secretary/Legal; Michael Kraios, Treasurer & C.F.O. Members Bertha Angels; Jeanine Hanna; Glenn Lianos; Eleni Constantine Manolelis; Loula Moschonas; Kouji Nakata; Alex Oxyzolou; Peter Pallas; Dean Peratsakis; Dorothy Spirus Board of Auditors: Jim Ananias; Tony Demetriou; Tom Moore 2
MINISTRY NEWS ORTHODOX BIBLE BLAST 2013-2014 One of our goals at St Sophia Cathedral this liturgical year is to get a copy of the Orthodox Study Bible into the hands of every single member of our community. SPECIAL LOW PRICE of $27.50. The St Sophia Bookstore has stocked up on Orthodox Study Bibles and for a short time only we are offering them at below cost for your benefit. Benefactors who want to help students in need may sponsor 10 Bibles for $275. Benefactors will be recognized in the weekly bulletin for their generosity. Just send a check to the church and write Bible Blast in the memo or call the office to make a gift over the phone. PHILOPTOHOS V.I.P. OCTOBER 14, 15, 16 - TRIP TO BALLY'S HOTEL, LAS VEGAS Cost $130 per person for a double and $215 for a single room. The bus will be leaving Monday morning at 8:15 sharp and will return about 5:00 pm on Wednesday. Please arrive half an hour earlier for check-in and baggage tags. Please call Mary Kezios for any information (562)923-7110. NOVEMBER 3 - Our Annual Artoklasia is offered for the health of the Philoptohos VIP members (senior citizens) and their families. DECEMBER 12 - Our Annual CHRISTMAS Party in the Maniatakos Fellowship Hall. This will be a very exciting event, so save the date! Chairperson is Petsa Schwartz. More information to follow. In His Service, Mary Morrison VIP President 3
PHILOPTOHOS NEWS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS: The American Cancer Society has designated October as Breast Cancer Awareness month. This is a reminder to all women to have your checkups and mammograms as required by your doctors. Make an appointment every year to have your physical. Ask your doctor if you are due for a mammogram and any other tests that you should have. We must be proactive and take care of ourselves. AN EVENING WITH FRIENDS DINNER honoring James (Jim) Demetriou, Anthony (Tony) Demetriou and Andrew (Andy) Evangelatos will be held on Saturday, February 1, 2014 in the Maniatakos Hall. Chairman Marianna Politis and her committee are already making plans for this spectacular evening. Please save the date and plan to join us! MARK your calendars for our next Philoptohos general assembly meeting on Sunday, October 20. Our speaker will be our own Dr. Collin Cooper, speaking about vaccinations, the flu season, medications, etc. He can answer your questions regarding shingles, pneumonia vaccines, flu shots, interactions with medicines you may be taking, and how to take care of yourself and your family if you do get the flu. Come and listen to this very informative and important presentation as we are now in the flu season. SALVIN SCHOOL FOOD BOXES: Philoptohos is once again helping to donate the cost of 76 holiday food boxes for the poorest of families at the Salvin School which services students with extreme special needs. The food boxes will contain basic staple food items such as canned fruits and vegetables, rice, canned milk, coffee, sugar, a canned ham and more. If you wish to donate to this most worthy cause, please send your donation to Philoptohos at the Saint Sophia office. BLANKETS FOR THE SHELTER: This winter we are asking for donations of new blankets for women and children in the Domestic Violence Agency safe houses. Blankets can be small such as crib size blankets or throw size blankets - they do not need to be large. If you knit - sew - or shop - this is for you! [continued pg 5] 4
PHILOPTOHOS NEWS As we approach the holidays we should remember these women and their children who are hiding from abusive husbands, fathers and boyfriends. They are unable to leave the safe house and be with their families for the holidays. We tend to forget that babies and children are in the houses with their mothers. It would be wonderful if we could send nice, soft, new blankets to the agency for distribution. If you wish to bring a donation to church or to a Philoptohos meeting, the blankets will be delivered before Christmas to the agency. Thank you. THANKSGIVING LUNCHEON: Our Thanksgiving luncheon will be Sunday, November 17th at 12:30 p.m. in the Maniatakos Pavilion. Reservation forms are in the Herald. Be sure to send in your reservation ahead of time. Philoptohos must continue to reach out and do the work of our Lord. The poor, the destitute, the hungry, the aged, the sick, the unemployed, the orphaned, those who may need assistance. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me John 12:8 With love in Christ s service, Virginia Noyes and The Philoptohos Board of Directors 5
MINISTRY NEWS INQUIRERS CLASS MONDAY NIGHTS AT 7:00P Have questions about God, religion, Orthodox faith and practice? Join us upstairs in Rm. 1 of the Huffington Center Monday nights and enter the discussion with a Q&A style discussion of the fundamentals of the Orthodoxy. This class is for you if you would like to: Learn more about the beauty of ancient Orthodox Christian faith, practice, and history Ask questions and discuss God, the Bible, the Church, Sacraments, Liturgy, Icons, spirituality, etc. Get connected with our beautiful and vibrant Saint Sophia community Discussion facilitated by Noah Johnson under the direction of Father Allan Boyd. JOY OF PARENTING CLASSES TODAY, IN THE HUFFINGTON CTR. Join your fellow parishioners in a lively discussion of parenting children of all ages: from toddlers to teens and beyond. Upcoming topics: October 20, "Raising a Compassionate Child," November 3, "Developing a Close Parent-Child Relationship." Classes are held in the Work/Study Room in the Huffington Center, upstairs near the left-hand side staircase, immediately following Holy Communion and concluding at 12:15. Come with your concerns and questions or just listen; there is no pressure to speak to the class. It's a wonderful way to get acquainted with other parents. There is no fee to attend. The Joy of Parenting Ministry is facilitated by Barbara Kappos, LCSW and Nikolaos Stefanidis, Ph.D. EVERY MONDAY NIGHT: BASKETBALL IN OUR GYM 7:30P Drop by for pick-up basketball games every Monday night in our gym. Boys and girls, men and women, ages 13 to 30. Shoot the hoops or shoot the breeze, either way, it's a good time. Hope to see you. 6
MINISTRY NEWS SAVE THE DATES: Nov. 9: PAOI Women's Board of Southern California hosts its biennial recognition celebration. For more info & reservations, call Bess Pappas 818/224-4876. Feb. 1: The Philoptochos presents, "An Evening with Friends," honoring parishioners Jim Demetriou, Tony Demetriou, & Andy Evangelatos. Mar. 1, 2014: Apokreas (Greek Mardi-Gras), in the Maniatakos Hall, presented by the Parish Council of Saint Sophia. SAVE THE DATE!!!! SATURDAY NIGHT OCTOBER 26, 2013 7:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M. ST. SOPHIA CATHEDRAL GOYA PRESENTS A HALLOWEEN PARTY PLEASE JOIN US AT ST. SOPHIA GYM 1324 SOUTH NORMANDIE AVENUE LOS ANGELES, CA 90006 DJ, GAMES, COSTUME CONTEST, PUMPKIN CARVING,... SNACKS AND DRINKS SHALL BE SERVED 7
ATTENTION MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS! Have you ever wondered what those people working in the Narthex do every Sunday? Probably not. But we want you to find out anyway! The first Sunday of each month has been officially named Youth Sunday. In addition to a Sunday School student reading the Epistle, the Parish Council of St. Sophia Cathedral invites middle and high school students to volunteer in the Narthex during Divine Liturgy. Besides helping out with the candles and ushering, you may also assist in passing the baskets to the parishioners to collect their monetary donations. You'll be paired with a seasoned Parish Council member to train you. If you'd like to volunteer in the Narthex and/or pass the baskets, please sign up by contacting: L.A.GreekChurchLady@gmail.com. Send your name, phone number, age and what day you'd like to volunteer. Please arrive at church at 9:45 a.m. so you may be trained. Upcoming dates: Nov. 2, and Dec. 1. We look forward to seeing you! -The Parish Council SAINT SOPHIA TALENT SHOW GRATITUDE Thank you! A HUGE thank you goes out to Dorothy Spirus for organizing the Saint Sophia Talent Show, which turned out to be a great deal of fun for both audience and participants. Special thanks go out to John Kopatsis and each of the other folks who helped organize the behind the scenes details, including especially each of the ladies who showed their amazing talents by baking goodies for all of us to enjoy. Thank you to Nick Hronis for supplying the stage lighting, which gave it all a real professional look. And last of all thank you to each of our talented participants who demonstrated their stage skills that night, including Raffaele Vardavas, Vicki Deryiades, Konstantinos Sarras, Ariana Prappas, Demetri Thomas, Leeza Ray Fouad, Aris Spirtos, Sophia Spirus, Christiana Szekely, and Andrew Middleton. We re all looking forward to next time! 8
SUPPORT SO. CALIFORNIA'S ORTHODOX COLLEGE St. Katherine Orthodox College will be holding their First Annual Celebrity Gala Banquet at the Rancho Bernardo Inn following a Golf Tournament on October 18. Make your reservation for the banquet or golf by calling (760)943-1107 and asking for Christina Tasulis or by going online to www.skcgolf.myevent.com. The following day, the college will be holding an open house beginning with vespers at 5:30 p.m.. Come have a wonderful time and support our Orthodox college! CONNECTIVITY @ ST. SOPHIA An oft-heard phrase in our community is, We ve got this wonderful facility, let s use it! The Parish Council is motivated to develop a variety of programs, events, classes, gatherings to be held in our Huffington Center. We need your help. We need help with implementing these plans, and the easiest one of all, your attendance. Please support our efforts of creating stronger ties with each other and our faith by showing up. Invite your friends, slight acquaintances, or the person sitting in the pew next to you. Let s gather for fun and fellowship. Who knows what goodness this will lead to? Let s find out, together. YOUNG ADULT FELLOWSHIP: TUESDAYS 7:00PM Join us for dinner, discussion, and prayer all in Christ- Centered fellowship offered weekly at Saint Sophia Cathedral for those looking to further their faith and connect! Mark your calendar for October 16th at 7:00pm and check out the Central/West Los Angeles Chapter of the Forum. All are welcome, food and drink contributions definitely welcome! This week s menu: Lasagna! 9
PHILANTHROPIA MINISTRY NEWS: THANK YOU: To all of you for supporting Philanthropia s projects year-round and for your prayers and well wishes for our family. AIDS WALK LOS ANGELES (AWLA): Today October 13th! The East Los Angeles Women s Center provides comprehensive services to women and children living with HIV. Our own Barbara Kappos is the Executive Director. (For details, call (213) 201-walk.) ANNUAL BOARD MEETING: The Board of Directors, volunteers and friends of Philanthropia will hold their meeting on Sunday, October 27th, immediately following Divine Liturgy in St. Basil Chapel. Jean Harris, Vice-President of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) will report on the October 5th Walk. Agenda. CITY OF HOPE PEDIATRIC Booklet & Service: We have a full For children who have died of cancer Is scheduled for Thursday, November 14th at the City of Hope Medical Center. We are currently accepting donations for sponsoring this event. STREET OUTREACH: Children s Hospital of Los Angeles has for many decades reached out to help abandoned children. Dr. Nikos Stefanidis, Ph.D. a Staff Psychologist at Children s Hospital, L.A., is the Clinical Director of this High Risk Program. You could help Dr. Nikos by purchasing new items such as the following: T-Shirts (M-L); Boxers (M-L); White Socks; Blankets; Sleeping Bags; Sweatshirts; Snacks; Water/Juices; Bus Tokens; Sneakers; Hygiene Items (Travel Size); Tooth Brushes & Toothpaste; Shampoo; Deodorant; Sun Screen -- be sure to label them for DR. NIKOS STEFANIDIS and leave them by the clothing bins. We will make sure that he comes to pick them up. Thank you. USED CLOTHING and CANNED GOODS : Please identify all clothing donations on the outside of the bags by indicating whether they are for men, women or children. The receptacles for "used clothing" and "canned goods" are located side by side, in the general area of the nursery. Thank you! PHILANTHROPIA WEBSITE: www.philanthropiaministry.org God bless you! With love, Father Peter 10
Octogenarian s New Book 20,000 Divers Under the Sea Dives into the Depths of Greek Sponge Diving Torrance R. Parker To Dive in Deep Sea Suit at Los Angeles Maritime Museum Wednesday October 23 Renowned deep sea diver and author Torrance R. Parker, 85, will perform a live diving demonstration in a canvas diving suit with brass helmet at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum s in San Pedro on Wednesday, October 23 at 1:00 pm followed by a book signing and reception for his second book 20,000 Divers Under The Sea: A History of the Mediterranean and Western Atlantic Sponge Trades with an Account of Early Deep Diving. Ms. Elisabeth Fotiadou Consul General of Greece in Los Angeles is honorary host for the event. All proceeds from book sales will go to the Friends of Los Angeles Maritime Museum. The Los Angeles Maritime Museum (LAMM) is located at Berth 84, Foot of Sixth Street San Pedro, CA 900731. For more about LAMM see website www.lamaritimemuseum.com. For more about the October 23 Torrance Parker diving demonstration, and how to obtain 20,000 Divers Under the Sea contact Alexia Haidos (310) 450-6890 alexia@smartexposure.com. The event is free. 11
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