may 2014saint sophia greek orthodox cathedral page herald
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May 2014 Page
Ascension of Christ with the Hetoimasia,Ascension of Christ with the Hetoimasia,
Andreas Ritzos, 15th Century, 71 x 47.5 cm.Andreas Ritzos, 15th Century, 71 x 47.5 cm.
The National Museum of Western Art in TokyoThe National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo
HERALD MAY 2014
Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral
CELEBRATING 100
YEARS OF GREEK
ORTHODOXY IN
LOS ANGELES
Saint Sophia
Greek Orthodox
Cathedral
V. Rev. Fr. John S. Bakas,
Dean
Rev. Fr. Allan Boyd,
Assistant Priest
1324 S. Normandie Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90006
Tel. 323-737-2424
Fax. 323-737-7029
www.stsophia.org
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E
Dean’s Message 2
President’s Message 3
Philoptohos News 4
Stewardship 5
Philanthropia News 7
Philoptohos VIP 7
Ministries List 8
Sacraments/ Memorials 9
Youth News 10
Community News 11
Feast Day Article 14
Orthodox Calendar 15
Holy Ascension, May 29
Make a Difference in the
Restoration Work of
Agios Nikolaos Trikambanos
Page 6
May 2014 Page 2
DEAN’S MESSAGE
The Joyful Game of Gifts
Christos Anesti! Christ is Risen!
A second grade teacher, offering her class a lesson on
magnetism, showed the kids how you could use a magnet to
pick up a box of scattered thumbtacks. The next day she gave
a quiz that asked the kids to solve this little riddle: “My full
name has six letters. The first letter is ‘M’, I am attractive and
I pick up things. What am I?” When the papers all came in the
teacher was astonished to find that just one day after the
lesson almost half of the class answered the riddle with the
word, "Mother".
This month, we celebrate Mother’s Day and we especially
look to our Mother, the Theotokos, as the ultimate example
of one who offers and serves as a true disciple of Jesus Christ.
Like all great mothers, she inspires us and teaches us through
her example of offering her life for God's purpose. We look to
her, standing in the apse of our cathedral, with her arms
outstretched over the altar. You can almost hear her telling
us to pay close attention to the Eucharistic exchange
between God and man that takes place in our Divine Liturgy.
She whispers, “Pay close attention to the priest as he lifts the
bread and the wine and prays to the Lord, 'We offer to You
these gifts from Your own gifts in all and for all.'" These
words encapsulate the beautiful conversation between God
and His people, a sort of "game of gifts".
If we learn to pay attention to and learn from the
teachings and example of our Mother, the Theotokos, as
she stands with her arms outstretched over the altar,
what an attractive witness of God’s love we will be to the
people around us!
The game begins with God who offers us the gifts of wheat
and grapes. We take these gifts of wheat and grapes, reform
them into gifts of bread and wine, and then we offer back to
Him in praise and thanksgiving at the altar. In the third
offering, God takes our gifts of bread and wine and
transforms them into the Body and Blood of His Son, which
He offers them to us as Holy Communion. Through the
mysterious work of the Holy Spirit, we experience this
miracle each time we participate in the Eucharist. Finally, as
we carry the Lord's Body and Blood inside of us we are called
to share this experience of God to the world around us. He
calls us to offer our gifts, talents, grace and treasure to those
and need and to His Church.
Remember all your mother has provided for you, and know
too that the Church is also our mother; constantly offering
love and direction to Her children. Let us joyfully participate
in God’s continuing ministry of love, gratitude, and offering!
In Christ,
V. Rev. Fr. John S. Bakas, Dean
May 2014 Page 3
PARISH COUNCIL MESSAGE
A letter of Gratitude
Christos Anesti! The Parish Council and I extend our
heartfelt thanks to all of our Saint Sophia staff, volunteers and
parishioners who attended and participated throughout Lent
and our beautiful Holy Week services. Father John and
Father Allan faithfully (and reverently) helped guide all of us
through the preparations for this spiritual journey of
repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation, prayer, fasting, giving
and study. Through their love and guidance, they helped us
to experience the deliverance from death to life of the
resurrected Christ. The joy of Easter cannot be complete
without reliving the events that lead to it. Father John and
Father Allan helped us, the faithful, to be resurrected and to
come closer to becoming like God (theosis).
We extend our thanks to Jimmy Karatsikis and his
volunteers for each day’s preparations and maintenance of
our Cathedral, to Jim Kollias (choir director), Chris Yokas
(organist), choir members, Dimitris Liogris (Protopsaltis) and
Michael Kontaxis (Assistant Psaltis) for our uplifting and
melodic hymns and chants, to all the ladies of Philoptohos for
their help with the preparation of the red eggs (kokkina avga)
(thanks Mary Kezios and friends) and the preparation of the
delicious galaktoboureko (thanks Mary Gallanis and crew), to
our Parish Council and Trustees for assisting within the
Church for collections and for helping with the organization of
the fantastic Easter Picnic (special thanks to Ted Pappas,
volunteers and sponsors), for our ushers (hooray to Diane
Lapa and the Begakis family for their assistance with our
special guests), our very sweet and wonderful myrrh-bearers
and families, our ladies who decorated the Epitafio
(symbolizing Jesus’ tomb) with the fragrant flowers and rose
water, to our volunteers working both in and outside of the
Narthex selling candles and wishing everyone a Happy
Pascha, to the honored men who carried our beautiful Epitafio
in and around the Cathedral, to our entire Saint Sophia staff
members and friends (Helen Ellis, Noah Johnson, Jessica
Benitez, custodians Marcial Cerna, Oscar Castro, Mauricio
Mira and Miguel Rosales, and our weekly volunteers who
serve in the front office, and to all of our parishioners and
friends who witnessed the resurrection of Christ (Alithos
Anesti). I’m sure I missed thanking someone so please
accept THANK YOU from all of us for a job well done!
Recently I woke up from a sound sleep and experienced
extreme pain. I had never felt this badly (I’ve passed four
kidney stones previously) and after two hours of not being
able to control the pain, I woke my wife and told her that I
needed her to drive me to the hospital. After experiencing the
tedious paperwork and questions to be admitted into the
emergency room, I continued to experience unbelievable
pain. Of course, with medication and lots of shots, a few
hours later, I was admitted into the hospital. I won’t subject
you to my experiences of going through series of x-rays,
scans and drinking lots of barium, the doctors determined that
I had a bowel obstruction and was in need of surgery. After
some hours of surgery, I was returned to my room with lots of
staples in my stomach and minus some few centimeters of
bowel.
I share this story with you to explain how I was spiritually
uplifted during my recovery by the entire Saint Sophia Family.
Loving friends including Father John Bakas (who visited me
and prayed for my health, well-being and spiritual uplifting),
Dr. Collin Cooper (my caring and faithful primary doctor), my
wife, Virginia and children Christopher, Alexis and Kellie
(who kept me going and easing my discomfort with their love
and personal care), John Kopatsis (our Parish Council Vice
President) who always shared his friendship and kindness,
the many telephone calls, get well cards, prayers and flowers
(thank you Toula Kalatzis and son, Aris). I deeply
appreciated and loved the words/prayers sent from the Saint
Sophia family, parishioners and friends. I also want to thank
my special visitors who gave me encouragement and
fellowship (including my Godson, Evan Boukidis,
Koumbara, Jeanne Boukidis and Vilma Chanin). All of the
caring and heartfelt words reinforced what an honor it is to
have all of you as my friends and how the Saint Sophia
Community continues to come together for the benefit of a
fellow parishioner. You were all definitely the best medicine
for a person in need and I thank you for allowing me the
privilege of being the President of the Community. Good
health and happiness to you and your family.
Yours in Christ,
Brent A. Noyes, Parish Council President
May 2014 Page 4
PHILOPTOHOS NEWS
This is our “big” thank you letter!
What a beautiful experience we had on our journey to Easter!
There are so many people to thank for the amazing Holy
Week services. Our wonderful priests Father John Bakas and
Father Allan Boyd go above and beyond to serve, long,
exhausting hours with the results being absolutely gorgeous,
spiritual and moving services! Our chanters Dimitri and
Michael - Jimmy Karatsikis - our custodial staff - the Parish
Council members - John Kopatsis - the office staff, Noah and
Helen, and volunteers - all worked many hard hours to make
sure that our Cathedral and our services were well planned
and beautiful. To Jim Kollias, Chris Yokas and the choir - we
must say that you were absolutely wonderful! When you sing,
it is like listening to ‘heaven’ on Earth. Thank you to
everyone!
We sincerely wish to thank everyone who worked so hard for
the Easter picnic by baking and working in the pastry booth. It
would not be possible to keep up with the all of this work
unless we had all of you helping us! Special thank you’s to
Mary Kezios and her ladies for dying the red eggs for
Anastasi; to Mary Gallanis for chairing the galatabouriko
baking; Pauline Evangelatos for putting together a group to
wrap the eggs in the netting for the Resurrection service and
to Helene Ballas for handling the Easter plants for the shut-
ins. Thank you to Ourania Giagtzoglou for the koulourakia
she made for the Easter picnic! We’d also like to thank Eleni
Yokas for making lovely special ‘palm crosses’ for our shut-ins
that we placed with their plants. We hope we don’t overlook
anyone but please know that we appreciate everyone who
came to help Philoptohos.
Our next meeting will be Sunday, May 18th after liturgy in the
upstairs meeting room of the Huffington Center. Georgia and
Dean Ananias and their daughters will speak about their
experience on the Costa Concordia ship and how they are
pushing for better emergency procedures in the face of a
disaster. Please come and hear this very informative
presentation. We all need to know what to do in an
emergency. Certainly we would like to think it will never
happen - but after watching the news this last month, we
know that anything is possible. Lunch will be available. We
hope to see you there!
Your donations to the Domestic Violence Agency and to our
“shoe luncheon” for Dr. Nick Stefanidis’s outreach work,
were truly generous and heartwarming. For these people
who need some encouragement, hope and cheer, your
donations go a long way to show them that they are cared
about and loved. Philoptohos brings hope to many people
who feel they have no chance for a better life and your
donations have shown that people do care. THANK YOU.
Reaching out to those who are suffering and need help is
what Philoptohos is all about and why we work so hard to
raise funds. Our outreach program is still large and we could
still use some help if you wish to donate a gift card to Target,
Trader Joe’s, Wal-Mart - anything would be greatly
appreciated. We have a number of people who are sick and
others who are unemployed. We continue to send gift cards
to these people so that they may purchase food and other
essentials. Philoptohos has also helped with a number of
burial expenses in the past year, and our outreach funds help
us with those costs. You can be an angel to someone by
being an ‘angel’ to Philoptohos.
The Mission Statement of Philoptohos “ To aid the poor, the
destitute, the hungry, the aged, the sick, the unemployed, the
orphaned, the imprisoned, the widowed, the handicapped, the
victims of disasters, to undertake the burial of impoverished
persons and to offer assistance to anyone who may need the
help of the church through fund raising efforts…” this is what
we do and this is why we put on fundraisers throughout the
years.
“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
May 2014 Page 5
Believe and Belong through Christian Stewardship
STEWARDSHIP FAMILIES MARCH 2014
$8,000 To $9,999
Caras, Joan & Chris W.*
$6,000 To $7,999
Holcomb, Mr. & Mrs. James
$4,000 To $5,999
Evangelatos, Dr. & Mrs. Dennis*
Warner, Mr. Michael
$2,000 To $3,999
Evangelatos, Mr. & Mrs. Andrew*
Pappas, Mr. & Mrs. John*
Zarocostas, Mr. Peter
Anonymous (1)
$1,000 To $1,999
Begakis, Mr. & Mrs. Niko
Camaras, Mr. & Mrs. Tykye
Garrity, Mr. Thomas & Baek, Ms.
Eunice
Gialketsis, Mrs. Lola*
Greitzer, Mr. & Mrs. Steven
Kallis, Mr. Larry
Lee, Mr. & Mrs. Nathan
Lianos, Mr. & Mrs. Glenn
Manolelis, Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas
Moore, Mr. & Mrs. Tom
Patzakis Prappas, Ms. Michele
Travlos, Mr. & Mrs. Sam
Waldron, Mr. William & Stone, Ms.
Deborah
Anonymous (1)
$650 To $999
Kezios, Mr. & Mrs. Nick
Panagiotopoulos, Mr. & Mrs. Mario
Selimos, Mrs. Mary*
Stumpus, Mrs. Elizabeth
Woloschinowisch, Mrs. Mary
Anonymous (3)
OTHER
Angels. Mrs. Bertha
Aronis, Mr. & Mrs. Vas
Arvanitis, Mr. & Mrs. Komnas
Bozonelis, Ms. Lia
Coroneus, Mrs. Thalia
Costalupes, Mr. & Mrs. Kim
Eagar, Mr. & Mrs. Robert
Erwin, Mrs. Catherine
Jankosky, Mr. & Mrs. Joe
Melko, Ms. Eugenia
Miller, Ms. Stephanie & Jones, Mr.
Aaron
Price, Mr. & Mrs. Ben
Psaltiras, Mr. & Mrs. Eftychios
Staikos, Mr. Alexandros
Varentges, Ms. Kalli
Webster, Mr. & Mrs. John
* Life Members Endowment Fund +Blessed Memory
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Attention Sunday School Families! You have special
seating reserved for you right up front in the Cathedral every
Sunday: The first two pews on the left side. Do take
advantage of this beautiful view of the Divine Liturgy. Your
children will likely be more engaged in the service through
increased visibility.
Joy of Parenting Classes in the Huffington Center. Join
your fellow parishioners in a lively discussion of parenting
children of all ages: from toddlers to teens and
beyond. 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. Upcoming classes: May 4, "Age-Appropriate
Chores," May 11, "Sibling Rivalries," May 18, "Empty
Nest Syndrome."
Bible Study with Father John. 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. Don't miss this
wonderful opportunity for spiritual growth: Women's Bible
Study, Mondays, 11:00 a.m. to Noon, in the Chapel and
Men's Bible Study, Tuesdays, 11:00 a.m. to Noon, in the
Cathedral.
Attention Middle & High School Students! 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 Saint Sophia Cathedral invites middle and
high school students to volunteer in the Narthex during Divine
Liturgy. 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
[email protected]. 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.
May 2014 Page 6
Kastania, Messenian Mani Kastania, located at the crossroads of Messenia and
Lakonia, is a village that has retained its distinctive
Byzantine character. Once the fifth largest settlement in
the Mani, Kastania is first mentioned in a Venetian legal
decision of 1278 as Castagnia (from κάστανα,
chestnuts). Connected to Byzantine Mystras by overland
routes, the village is home to numerous medieval
churches, including St. Peter, St. John the Baptist, St.
Nicholas Maroulainas, and St. Nicholas Trikambanos.
These exquisite structures exhibit the high quality
monumental painting that is characteristic of the late
Byzantine period in the Peloponnese, as well as
eleventh-century marble reliefs carved by Niketas, a well
known ecclesiastical sculptor in the Mani. Architectural
remains in Kastania like the Dourakis Pyrgos, the
fortified tower of a local clan ruler, testify to Greece’s
years under Ottoman rule. Famously, the village served
as a place of refuge for Theodoros Kolokotrones, “O
Geros tou Morea” (“The elder of the Morea”) and a hero
of the Greek War of Independence. Kastania’s
neighborhoods, defined by narrow streets lined with
stone homes, transport modern-day visitors to a
medieval village of grand significance. Kastania was
recognized in 1965 and 2002 as a historical landmark.
Saint Nicholas Trikambanos
Saint Nicholas (Agios Nikolaos Trikambanos) is built
against the sloping hills that frame Kastania.
Constructed in a cruciform shape, the chapel is
decorated with wall paintings of the fifteenth century.
Although the images on the church interior are badly
damaged, the painter’s virtuosity is revealed in faces
and figures that can still be discerned under centuries of
smoke and salt accretions. Images of Saint Nicholas—a
stunning portrait of the enthroned bishop and a scene
You can make a Difference
Restoration work at Saint Nicholas Trikambanos will be
undertaken by the 26th Directorate of Byzantine
Antiquities (Kalamata, Messenia) with the support of the
community of Saint Sophia Cathedral, Los Angeles, and
with encouragement of Father John Bakas, Dean of the
Cathedral. Work will include architectural restoration of
the building and cleaning and consolidation of the wall
paintings. With the help of the Los Angeles community,
this important chapel will be restored to its 15th-century
splendor.
Checks supporting the
restoration of
Saint Nicholas
Trikambanos
can be made out to:
Saint Sophia Cathedral -
Byzantine Church
Restoration Project
from his Life—reveal the church’s dedication and
highlight the local popularity of this episcopal figure.
Framed saints, imitating portable icons, decorate the
upper registers of the walls. Surrounding the faithful are
tender portraits of archangels, military saints, and
female saints. The style of the painting is linked to
Mystras, the most important artistic center in the late
Byzantine Peloponnese and the seat of the Despotate.
May 2014 Page 7
Χριστός ἀνέστη! Christ Is Risen! We hope all of you
experienced a meaningful and joyful Lent and Holy Week.
Get on the Bus: This program was introduced to us by Sister
Catherine Marie, a chaplain at the women’s jail. With your
generous support, we reached our goal of $1,500 to sponsor
a bus in 2013 that scheduled visits of hundreds of children
who boarded buses to travel from cities all over the State of
California to be united with their incarcerated moms and/or
dads, on Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day respectively. Please
give generously again this year so that we may reach our goal
of $1,500 for 2014. Donations may be sent to the
PHILANTHROPIA office at 6357 Crebs Avenue, Tarzana, CA
91335. We will keep you posted as the day approaches.
Thank you and God Bless!
City of Hope: The 2014 Pediatric “Celebration of Life” which
recognizes all the children that have succumbed from cancer
will be held this year on Wednesday, November 12th at the
City of Hope Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, 1500
E. Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010. Tel: (626) 301-8426. We
sponsor the service and booklet for this memorial. Thank you
again for your contribution
Used Clothing and Canned Goods: Thank you for all the
generous donation of used clothing during the Lenten season
and beyond. This is a year-long project, so please continue
your donations as there are still many people we need to
reach. Please label all clothing donations on the outside of
the bags by indicating whether they are for men, women or
children. The two new receptacles for "used clothing" and
"canned goods" are working great. They are located side by
side, in the general area of the nursery. Thank you!
The Wall-Las Memorias Project: We continue to support
Richard Zaldivar, Executive Director, in their quest to achieve
the same goals we have for continued AIDS education,
awareness and prevention.
Street Outreach: Dr. Nikos Stefanidis, Ph.D. a Staff
Psychologist at Children’s Hospital, L.A., is the Clinical
Director of this High Risk Program. Your continued help will
assure that these children are cared for year round 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
PHILOPTOHOS VIP
Senior Citizen of the Year Luncheon: We are happy to
announce that on Thursday, May 22, 2014, we will honor
Stella Morris as our VIP Philoptohos Senior Citizen of the
Year 2014. Plan to attend this special day honoring Stella who
devoted her life to the Church and is a long-time member of
the VIP’s. A very special luncheon and program have been
planned to take place in the Huffington Center/Maniatakos
Fellowship Hall at 11:30 AM for a donation of $25. The event
chair is Mersy Loukaris. For reservations please call Mersy
at (323) 661-1592 or Vivi Demopoulos at (310) 215-3130.
Make your check payable to “Philoptohos VIP” and send it to
Vivi Demopoulos, 7485 McConnell Ave. Los Angeles CA
90045. Reservations are required in order to make plans with
the caterer.
We will be visiting the beautiful Getty Villa in Malibu to see
the Heaven and Earth-Art of Byzantium exhibition from
Greece. J. Paul Getty has been collaborating with the Benaki
Museum in Athens and the Hellenic Ministry of Culture. Since
we Greeks love our Greek Heritage this is one event you will
not want to miss. There will be artifacts such as icons,
mosaics, frescoes, jewelry, sculptures etc. — here only for a
few months. Mark the date Thursday, June 26, 2014. Please
be at the Church by 9:15 A.M. as the bus will depart from the
Church at 9:30 A.M. sharp and return to the Church by 3:00
P.M. The cost is $30.00 which includes the bus, museum and
lunch. Coogie's in Santa Monica will offer 3 choices: Angel
Hair Pasta, Hamburger or Turkey sandwich. Chairman for the
trip is Petsa Schwartz (310)822-6527. Call Co-Chairperson
Vickie Deryiades at (310)279-3722 to reserve your place.
Make checks payable to Philoptohos VIP and mail to Vickie
Deryiades, 3250 Military Avenue, Los Angeles 90034
In His Service,
Athina Lolonis, VIP President
PHILANTHROPIA NEWS
for Dr. Nikos Stefanidis and leave them by the clothing bins.
We will make sure that he picks them up. Thank you.
Philanthropia Website: The “Winter” issue of the
PHILANTHROPIA Newsletter that was mailed recently, will be
on the website shortly at: www.philanthropiaministry.org We
thank Perry Lambert who is coordinating our website. (Note:
We will be preparing a “Spring-Summer” combined issue of
the newsletter again this year while Presbytera fully recovers
from her hospitalization earlier this year. Thank you for your
understanding.)
God bless you! — Father Peter
May 2014 Page 8
MINISTRIES
Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral
Very Reverend Father John S. Bakas, Dean Reverend Father Allan (Gabriel) Boyd
Jim Kollias, Choir Director Dimitris Liogris , Protopsaltis Michael Kontaxis, Assistant Psaltis
Christopher Yokas, Organist James Karatsikis, Sexton
FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Executive Officers
George E. Preonas, President
Andrew Evangelatos, Executive Vice President
Dr. James A. Demetriou, 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 Steve Hanna
Michael Huffington Gig Kyriacou Brent Noyes
John T. Pappas Jim Zaferis
Presidential Appointments
Anthony A. Demetriou, Presidential Assistant
John G. Marakas III, Sr. Advisor to the Board
Andrew J. Demetriou, Foundation General Counsel
PARISH COUNCIL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Executive Officers
Brent Noyes, President
John Kopatsis, Vice President
Irene Andreadis, Recording Secretary
Karen Sarames, Corresponding Secretary
Michael Kraios, Treasurer & C.F.O.
Members
Bertha Angels Eleni Constantine Manolelis
Jeanine Hanna Glenn Lianos Loula Moschonas
Peter Pallas Dean Peratsakis
Dorothy Spirus Tom Ward Anna Yallourakis
Auditing Committee
James Ananias Anthony Demetriou Tom Moore
PHILOPTOHOS SOCIETY
Executive Officers
Virginia Noyes, President
Helene Ballas, 1st Vice President
Marianna Politis, 2nd Vice President
Mary Gallanis, Recording Secretary
Lola Gialketsis, Corresponding Secretary
Scarlett Billis, Treasurer
Dina Oldknow, Advisor
Honorary Life Members
Jennie Doumak Christine Peratis
Members
Allison Stavaridis Frances Bissias Judith Christopoulos
Pauline Evangelatos Olga Jordan Tricia Kremer
Coni Manders Sophie Mastor Jan Pastras
Christina Peratsakis Jayne Poullos Sonia Stathes
Mary Tassop Maria Toczek
ALTAR BOYS
Chris Halekakis
BASKETBALL
Gig Kyriacou & Paul Cooper
BIBLE STUDY
Very Rev. Father John Bakas
Rev. Father Allan Boyd
BOOK STORE
William Striglos
CAMP ZOE
Very Rev. Father John Bakas
CHILD CARE
Kathy & Marsha Zagorianos
CHOIR
Jim Kollias
COFFEE HOUR
Ann Pappas
Georgia Vasila
DOCENTS
Faye Demetriou
EASTER PICNIC
Ted Pappas
GREEK DANCE GROUPS
Barbara Kappos
GREEKS in HOLLYWOOD
Dina Demetrius
HELLENIC ACADEMY
Andri Christodoulidou
HOSPITALITY
Niki Korbakis
Maria Pelargos
L.A. GREEK FEST
John Boudouvas and
Eleni Constantine Manolellis
MR. & MRS. CLUB
Dean & Christine Peratsakis
ODOS “The Way”
Helen Lambros
PARENTING
Nick Stefanidis
Barbara Kappos
PHILANTHROPIA
Rev. Father Peter Lambert
PHILOPTOHOS V.I.P.
Athina Lolonis, President
SAINT SOPHIA CAMP
Melanie O’Regan
Jack Stumpus (Golf Event)
Tony Mastor (Tennis Event)
Mary-Kay Demetriou (Tennis
Event)
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Eleni Yokas
YOUTH
Rev. Father Allan Boyd
OFFICE STAFF
Helen Ellis, Office Administrator Jessica Benitez, Admin. Assist.
Noah Johnson, Sacraments and Events
CUSTODIAL STAFF
Marcial Cerna Oscar Castro Mauricio Mira Miguel Rosales
May 2014 Page 9
May 2 Karla Overpeck and John Balanos
Sponsor: Theodoros Vlantis
May 3 Eleni Lotakis and Eloy Flores
Sponsor: Elizabeth Zoulis
May 18 Roxanna Araks Teroganseyan and Michael
Nehme
May 24 Cynthia Garcia-Silva and Andreas Zinelis
Sponsor: Kirakos Cosmas
WEDDINGS MEMORIALS
May 4 May 11
Peter C. Latsis - 33 years
Stella Kontes - 5 years
Ioannis Gregoriou - 11 years
Andreas Gregoriou - 13 years
Dorothy Litchfield
Caleroi Boukidis - 20 years
BAPTISMS
May 3 Oliva Grace Fleming
Daughter of Theodore and Athena Fleming
Sponsor: Dana Manpearl
Anastasia Irini Eleni Kouros
Daughter of Philip and Irene Kouros
Sponsor: Anastasia Pinson
May 17 Karen Maxwell
Daughter of Scott and Barbara Maxwell
Sponsor: Tina Zarifes
May 24 Mary Alexia Aronis
Daughter of Athan and Anna Aronis
Sponsor: Patricia Aronis
May 24 Sophia Padron
Daughter of Joshua and Theodora Padron
Sponsor: Illiana Solis
May 31 John Boudouvas Jr.
Son of John and Katia Boudouvas
Sponsor: Andrea Bakas
Elpida Peters - 40 days
Christina Athans Hartley - 40
days
Megalene Caiopoulos
Christos (Doumakes) Dumas
Persephone Caiopoulos
Diamontopoulos
Aleck Edwards, II
Ero Cosfol- 40 days
Vasilios S. Lambros - 3 years
Dimitrios Panayi
Bill Karnezi
Helen Panayi
Ioan Covaci- 4 years
Gregory George - 1 year
Stan
Elena
Hristu
Artimon
Evdochia
Gheorghe
Sofia
Octavian
Mihai
Varvara
Ion
Maria
Teodosia
Dorin
Maria
Caliopi
EPISTLE READERS
May 4 George Camperos
May 11 Jeanine Hanna
May 18 Michael Kraios
May 25 Eleni Romm
SACRAMENTS AND MEMORIALS
May 18
Stella Kontes - 5 years
May 25
George Kalivas
Georg Fenady (Fanoudas) – 6
years
Shannon Fenady (Fanoudas)
– 6 years
Andreas Fanoudas - 55 years
Evgenia Fanoudas - 70 years
Marika Fenady (Fanoudas) -
35 years
John Fenady (Fanoudas) - 59
years
George Matthews - 69 years
Panagiota Matthews -18 years
Basili Matthews - 19 years
Dimitrios Matthews – 7 years
Basiliki Krystales - 92 years
Moskos Krystales – 66 years
Gabriel Krystales – 50 years
Basili Krystales - 72 years
George Pappas – 52 years
Elizabeth Pappas – 51 years
Stephen Demos - 34 years
Joseph A. George - 40 days
May 2014 Page 10
YOUTH NEWS
Youth Program Contacts
May Activities
Sunday School
Sunday, May 4
Regular Schedule -presale for
tickets to End of year
Celebration.
Sunday, May 11
Regular Schedule - Mother’s
Day.
Sunday, May 18
Godparent’s Sunday - Special
Schedule. Meet in General
Assembly Room following Holy
Communion.
Sunday, May 25
Memorial Weekend Holiday.
Hellenic Academy
Saturday, May 3
Regular Schedule
Saturday, May 10
Regular Schedule
Saturday, May 17
Regular Schedule
Saturday, May 24
Memorial Weekend
Holiday
Saturday, May 31
Regular Schedule
ALTAR BOYS
Chris Halekakis
BASKETBALL
Paul Cooper
CAMP ZOE
Fr. John Bakas
GREEK DANCE
Barbara Kappos
HELLENIC ACADEMY
Andri Christodoulidou [email protected]
ODOS “The Way”
Orthodox Development of
Spirituality
Helen Lambros
SAINT SOPHIA CAMP
Melanie O’Regan
saintsophiacamp.org
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Eleni Yokas
The Art of the Greek Dance
Come and learn all the dances you need to know for
festivals, weddings and other Greek events. Ramsey will
teach pan-Hellenic dances as well as specialized regional
traditional dances (Παραδοσιακα) . Bring your dance
shoes and we will see you there.
WHEN: Saturdays, April 26 to June 28
WHERE: Huffington Center
TIME: 10:00 am – 11:45 am
FEE: $140 First Time / $120 Returning
INSTRUCTOR: Ramsay Seikaly
CONTACT NUMBER: (818) 929-1180
SAINT SOPHIA PHILOPTOHOS SOCIETY
MOTHER’S DAY LUNCHEON AND FASHION SHOW
Mothers are Angels on Earth HONORING THE 2014
MOTHER OF THE YEAR
Joan Tsioutsias Anast
SATURDAY, MAY 10, 2014
RECEPTION 11:00 O’CLOCK
LUNCHEON 12:00 O’CLOCK
SHERATON UNIVERSAL HOTEL, UNIVERSAL CITY
RESERVATIONS: MARY GALLANIS 818.845.7741
We look forward to seeing you there!
Please RSVP by May 3rd
May 2014 Page 11
Saint Sophia Cathedral was
represented at last month's
District Level Saint John
Chrysostom Oratorical Festival,
held at Saints Constantine and
Helen Church in Cardiff-by-the-
Sea. Sophia Spirus, (left)
Senior Division, received
Honorable Mention and
Stephanie Katherine
Yallourakis, Junior Division,
was awarded Third Place.
This year's Holy Friday Retreat was one of the greatest
blessings ever. Saint Sophia kids look forward each year to
participating in the storytelling session, where Fr. Allan opens
up eggs with objects inside that help the kids remember how
to tell the Easter story. Some of our kids are very good at
telling this story, interested in every detail. As you can see
from the photos, they were quite engaged in making sure that
we recounted every detail. There was a lesson in making
Prosphoro (the sealed bread that is offered by our parish
members to be used in the Eucharistic service). The kids also
got to do one of their favorite Holy Friday activities, make
Resurrection Rolls. It's another fun way to teach kids about
the Easter Story...and tasty!
The highlight of the Holy Friday Retreat, however is the Food
Drive, where we ask families to bring sacks full of requested
items to help fill our neighborhood food bank at St.
Thomas. Due to the enthusiastic response from Saint Sophia
members, we surpassed the amount collected last year. This
year we filled the back of a pickup truck to overflowing with
much needed groceries, plus, we filled an SUV to boot. This is
just one of the many ways we at Saint Sophia participate in
the direction that Christ gave us when He said, "Whatever you
have done for the least of these [those who struggle and
suffer] you have done for Me." Thank you for seeing our
Lord's face in the face of our struggling neighbors and for
responding so enthusiastically to Him. Thank you for teaching
our kids how to be disciples of Christ, by serving Him in this
way.
COMMUNITY NEWS
This year we were privileged to use UCLA’s Byzantine Gospel
Book for our Resurrection Services. UCLA Library Special
Collections Director Tom Hyry and Lucinda Newsome
brought the rare illuminated manuscript to the Cathedral in its
custom box. The manuscript of the New Testament in Greek
consists of 240 parchment leaves containing text in a single
column, 33 lines per page, in brown, red and purple ink. At
least four different scribes have been identified, including a
monk Ioannikios of Saint Katherine’s Monastery in Sinai,
who copied the Gospels, Acts, and Pauline Epistles of Saint
Paul, as well as the preface to Acts; a scribe who turned the
codex into lectionary, adding synaxarium and menologion for
Gospels and Acts, new chapter titles, and indications for
beginning and end of readings; a third scribe who wrote
psalms; and a fourth scribe who wrote missing hexameter
poems celebrating Luke and John. Miniatures: portraits of the
Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John at the
beginning of each Gospel; each Evangelist sits by his desk
beneath a triangular pediment supported by two columns,
richly colored in gold, red, blue, purple and green; Matthew
and Luke copy from a book supported by a fish; Mark copies
from a scroll; and John writes as the Gospel is dictated to him
by the voice of God, indicated by a hand emerging from a
cloud above.
May 2014 Page 12
COMMUNITY NEWS
Christos Anesti! It was a beautiful day at Brookside Park in
Pasadena on Easter Sunday. The park was filled with more
than 2000 people who came to celebrate Christ’s
Resurrection with family and friends, and everyone had a
great time.
We are all very fortunate that more than 90 years ago this
great tradition was started by the first Greek Orthodox Parish
in Los Angeles and by all accounts, it is the only event of its
type in the United States. Those in attendance were from all
over Southern California and perhaps you met some of our
visitors from as far away as Greece, Australia, Florida and
New York. And yes it's true, the Easter Bunny was Greek
Dancing!
On behalf of my picnic committee, Stephanie and Dan
Lubian, Tony Dres, Dean Treantafelles and Toula Kalatzis, I
extend my sincere thank you to all the volunteers who
contributed to making our Easter Picnic a successful event.
We also thank everyone who supported the picnic with
generous financial and product donations. In addition, we
could not have accomplished this without the assistance from
the St. Sophia Foundation, the wonderful ladies of
Philoptohos, Pegasus Foods, and the St. Sophia Parish
Council. Lastly, as picnic chairman, I send a special thank
you to John Kopatsis, Tina Callas, and Tino Boukidis. I
consider everyone mentioned here our “Easter Angels”.
Because this event is held in a public park, our expenses are
in excess of $35,000. Even though the picnic is an Easter
tradition and not a fund raiser, we are fortunate to always
cover our expenses plus a little extra which goes back to the
Foundation. However, without the donations and volunteers,
we could not afford to make this event possible.
We look forward to seeing you again next year on Orthodox
Easter Sunday, April 12, 2015.
Ted J. Pappas, Easter Picnic Chairman
Our sincere thank you to all the picnic Needs List donors
whose generosity helped to alleviate our financial burden:
Anonymous Donors
James & Angela Ananias
Choice Foods/John Fovos
Helen and Tony Demetriou
Eugenia Drakos
Bill and Anne Dres
Raymond and Faye Fouad
Nicholas Halikis
InkEdibles/Maria Ibrahimzade & Dimitris Constantinou
James & Carolyn Kolokotrones
Helen & Eleni Lambros
Fay Efrosini Lellios
Mersy Loukaris
Anastasia Maniskis
Alexandros Nicolaitis
Bill and Virgie Papalexis
John and Bess Pappas
Ted Pappas
Michael and Susan Patzakis
Pegasus Foods - Jim Zaferis and Van Ambatielos
Philoptohos
George & Aileen Preonas
Diane Pruett
Mary Lynn and John Rallis
Elizabeth Stumpus and family
Ariadne Toczek
Maria Toczek
Jim Tsarpalas
Angelo Vidalis and family
Zeli Coffee/Elaine and Diane Bissias
Tashi Zouras
Saint Sophia Easter Picnic 2014
We wish to recognize and thank the ten young ladies of our
community who represented the myrrh-bearing women at the
Services of the Epitafios on the evening of Good Friday.
They are Katrina Billis, Sophia Boghosian, Zoe Franco,
Maria Georgopoulos, Stella Helm, Maria Ifigenia
Oxyzolou, Anastasia Papadeas, Adriana Pitsos, Fotene
Romans and Athena Stamus.
The white floral wreaths and decorated baskets for the Myrrh-
bearers were offered by Jayne Poullos, in loving memory of
the Very Reverand George J. Venetos. Jayne Poullos
contributed toward the priests’ Resurrection lambades in
loving memory of her family.
We thank all the ladies who worked hard in dyeing dozens of
eggs for our Easter events: Mary Kezios, Sophia
Kapogiannis, Doraly Spiropoulos, Petsa Schwartz.
We thank all the ladies who worked hard to provide us with
beautiful Easter eggs this year: Pauline M. Evangelatos,
Sonia Stathes, Helene Ballas, Helen Evangelatos, Dina
Nichols, Jayne Poullos, Anne Dres, Athena Peterson, Mary
Tassop, Dorothea Ales, Lola Gialketsis, and Voula Siafaris.
We thank the ladies and the gentleman for the preparation of
galaktoboureko on Saturday, Apr. 19, 2014, Chairperson -
Mary Gallanis, Steve Billis , Hellene Ballas, Judith
Christopoulos, Helen Evangelatos, Dina Nichols, Jayne
Poulos
May 2014 Page 13
Holy Saturday-Altar Candles
Mr. & Mrs. Carl Rhoads
Holy Saturday-2 Easter Lambathes for Priests
Ms. Jayne Poullos
Holy Saturday-Myrrh Bearers Floral Wreaths
Ms. Jayne Poullos
Major Epitaphio Donors
The Georgia Defterios Family
Mr. & Mrs. Nick Bissias and Family
Mr. & Mrs. Ted Maniatakos
Dr. & Mrs. Michael Patzakis
Mr. & Mrs. Brent Noyes and Family
Holy Week Easter Flowers
Mr. & Mrs. Glen Lianos and Family
Chassman Family In loving memory of Sophia Dagres
Palomares and Ileana and Richard Shuman
Julian & Simona Rebiga – In loving memory of their parents
Mr. & Mrs. Alek Haidos
Mrs. Mersy Loukaris
Mr. & Mrs. George Dascalu
Palm Sunday Icon
Mr. & Mrs. Bill Papalexis
Mrs. Electra Koutsoukos
Holy Thursday-Large Wreath
Mr. & Mrs. Andreas Gallanis
Holy Thursday-Small Wreath
Mr. & Mrs. George Varentges
Holy Thursday-Holy Crucifixtion
Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Evangelatos
Holy Thursday - Arrangement at the Base of the Cross
Mr. & Mrs. John Romm
Holy Thursday-2 Large Arrangements
Mr. & Mrs. Donald Lapa
Holy Friday-Extreme Humility Icon and Altar Candles
Dr. & Mrs. Jan Duncan
Holy Friday-Both Sides Solea Candles
Mr. & Mrs. John T. Pappas
Holy Saturday-Resurrection Banner
Mr. & Mrs. Harry Siafaris
COMMUNITY NEWS - Easter Flower Donations
May 2014 Page 14
Ascension of Christ with the Hetoimasia - andreas ritzos
By John Kopatsis
The Feast of the Ascension of our Lord God and Savior
Jesus Christ (Η Ανάληψη του Χριστού), is celebrated each
year on the 40th day after the Great and Holy Feast of
Pascha. The Ascension of Christ is the teaching found in the
New Testament that Jesus was
taken up to Heaven in his
resurrected body, in the presence
of eleven of his Apostles. The
ascension implies Jesus' humanity
being taken into Heaven. It is
professed in the Nicene Creed and
is one of the five major milestones
in the Gospel narrative of the life of
Jesus, the others being baptism,
transfiguration, crucifixion, and
resurrection. The Ascension is
interpreted as the culmination of
the Mystery of the Incarnation, in
that it not only marked the
completion of Jesus' physical
presence among his apostles, but
consummated the union of God
and man when Jesus ascended in
his glorified human body to sit at
the right hand of God the Father.
The Ascension and the
Transfiguration both figure
prominently in the Orthodox
doctrine of Theosis (Union with
God). The bodily Ascension into heaven is also understood as
the final token of Christ's two natures: divine and human.
Andreas Ritzos Ascension of Christ with the Hetoimasia
icon is a typical example of the 15th-century Cretan-Venetian
school that grew from the tradition of Byzantine court painting.
Andreas Ritzos was a Greek icon painter, born in Heraklion
on the island of Crete, the son of a goldsmith. He is
considered the greatest Cretan painter of the second half of
the 15th century. His works provided models for subsequent
generations of icon painters. He worked in the Byzantine
style, but he was influenced by other styles, too, including the
Italian style of painting of the 14th century. This painting from
the Matsukata Collection, along with the Death of the Virgin
today in the Galleria Sabauda in Turin, is considered one of
Ritzos' best large-scale icons. Very little inpainting has
occurred in the centuries since its creation, and thus the work
fully conveys Ritzos' considerable ability as a veteran icon
painter. The painting shows the Ascension of Christ in the
center with the "Hetoimasia," (ἑτοιμασία, "preparation")
on the panel above. Preparation of the Throne or Throne
of the Second Coming is the symbolic subject of the empty
throne found in both the East and Western churches. From
about 1000, the throne has represented the throne of the
Second Coming of Christ from where he will pass judgment at
the end of time, a meaning it has retained in Eastern
Orthodox art to the present.
Ritzos has placed the Feast of Abraham at the top of the
composition as the symbol of the
Holy Trinity. Standing portraits of
six saints are shown, three on the
right; Saint John the Baptist, Saint
Nicholas and Saint Onuphrius, and
three on the left; Saint James,
Saint Anthony and Saint
Sebastian. Half-length figures of
Emperor Constantine, his mother
Helen, Saint Catherine, and Saint
Paraskevi appear in the lower
section. The Greek signature that
reads literally "by the hand of
Andreas Ritzos" appears in the
lower right, beneath the feet of
Saint Sebastian. Christ is shown
ascending in His glory in a
mandorla. A mandorla is a design
which is almond-shaped or round.
Inside the mandorla is the figure of
a holy person. Christ blesses the
assembly with His right hand. In
His left is a scroll. The scroll is a
symbol of teaching. This icon
shows that the Lord in heaven is
the source of blessing. In addition, Jesus is the source of
knowledge. The icon reminds us that Christ continues to be
the source of the teaching and message of the Church,
blessing and guiding those to whom He has entrusted his
work. The Theotokos occupies a very special place in this
icon. She is in the center of the icon, immediately below the
ascending Christ. The gesture of her hands is gesture of
prayer. She is clearly outlined by the lighter color of the
garments of the angels. The Theotokos is depicted in a very
calm pose. This is quite different from the appearance of the
Disciples. They are moving about, talking to one another and
looking and pointing towards heaven. The entire group, the
Theotokos and the disciples represent the Church. The icon
of the Ascension includes some who did not witness the
Ascension. Saint Paul is shown to the left of the Theotokos,
but we know that he was not present at the Ascension. At that
time, Saint Paul did not yet believe in Jesus. But he became a
Christian and one of the greatest Apostles and missionaries
of Church. The icon expresses the sovereignty of Christ over
His Church; He is its Head, its guide, its source of inspiration
and teaching; the Church receives Her commission and
ministry from Him, and fulfils it in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Central panel of Ascension of Christ with the Hetoimasia
May 2014 Page 15
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
2
3
4 Sunday of the
Myrrh-Bearing
Women
8:15am Orthros
9:15am FaithStudies
9:45am Memorials
10am Divine Liturgy
5
11:00am
Women’s Bible
Study w/Fr. John
7:30pm The Why’s of Orthodoxy w/Fr.
Allan
6
7:00 pm Young
Adult Forum
7
11:00am
Men’s Bible Study
w/Fr. John
8
Saint John the
Theologian
8:30am Orthros
9:30am Liturgy
7:30pm O.T. w/ Fr.
Allan
9
10
11
Sunday of
The Paralytic
8:15am Orthros
9:15am FaithStudies
9:45am Memorials
10am Divine Liturgy
12
11:00am
Women’s Bible
Study w/Fr. John
7:30pm The Why’s of Orthodoxy w/Fr.
Allan
13
7:00 pm Young
Adult Forum
14
11:00am
Men’s Bible Study
w/Fr. John
15
7:30pm O.T. w/
Fr. Allan
16
17
18
Sunday of the
Samaritan Woman
8:15am Orthros
9:15am FaithStudies
9:45am Memorials
10am Divine Liturgy
19
11:00am
Women’s Bible
Study w/Fr. John
7:30pm The Why’s of Orthodoxy w/Fr.
Allan
20
7:00 pm Young
Adult Forum
21 Sts Constantine
and Helen
8:30am Orthros
9:30am Liturgy
11:00am
Men’s Bible Study
w/Fr. John
22
7:30pm O.T. w/ Fr.
Allan
23
24
25
Sunday of the
Blind Man
8:15am Orthros
9:15am FaithStudies
9:45am Memorials
10am Divine Liturgy
26
11:00am
Women’s Bible
Study w/Fr. John
7:30pm The Why’s of Orthodoxy w/Fr.
Allan
27
7:00 pm Young
Adult Forum
28
11:00am
Men’s Bible Study
w/Fr. John
29
Holy Ascension
8:30am Orthros
9:30am Liturgy
7:30pm O.T. w/
30
31
Strict Fast Fish Allowed Wine and Oil
Allowed
Dairy, Eggs,
and Fish
Allowed
Fast Free
MAY 2014
May 2014 Page 16 Saint Sophia Greek Cathedral
Greek Orthodox Community
1324 South Normandie Avenue
Los Angeles, California 90006
Phone
323 737 2424
Fax
323 737 7029
We’re on the Web!
www.stsophia.org
TIME S
ENSITIV
E
Place address label here
Where there is patience and
humility, there is neither anger
nor vexation