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Saint Sophia

Greek Orthodox Cathedral

“God’s people, serving God’s people”

8th of December, 2013

10th 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

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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

Counsel

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

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MINISTRY NEWS

PHILOPTOHOS V.I.P.

DECEMBER 12 - OUR ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY in the

Maniatakos Fellowship Hall at 11:30am. This will be a very

exciting event, with Christmas Carols and great fellowship,

as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, so save

the date! Chairperson is Pitsa Schwartz and co-chair Mersy

Loukaris.

The price for the luncheon is $25.00. Paid reservations are

required and must be received by December 8th. Mail

your check payable to Philoptohos VIP to Vivi Demopoulos,

7485 McConnell Ave., Los Angeles CA 90045,

tel.(310)215-3130.

JANUARY 24 - PRIZES AND SURPRISES

It's that time of the year when we play our favorite game.

Please join us at 11:30am for a delicious lunch for a

donation of $10.00. Following lunch, you can enjoy an

afternoon of "prizes and surprises" with your friends.

Reservations are required. Please call chairperson Jayne

Poullos (310)429-3949 or co-chair Irene Mitropetros

(323)346-5223

March 3 - KATHARA DEFTERA

Let us together celebrate the first day of Lent with church

services at 10:00am followed by a delicious Lenten Lunch

which will be served in the Maniatakos Fellowship Hall

prepared by our lovely VIP chefs. Chairperson Irene

Mitropetros, co-chair Electra Koutsoukos.

In His Service,

Mary Morrison

VIP President

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PHILOPTOHOS NEWS

HO HO HO - THE ANGEL TREE: We apologize for running

out of tags - you are such a generous community that all

of the tags disappeared in a week! So we are refilling

the tree with more tags and food cards for those who

are hungry. Tags will be labeled stating the gift needed

and with an alphabetical letter that identifies which

family the gift is for. Wrap the newly purchased gift in

Christmas paper or in a small gift bag for cards - and

then tape or tie - the tag back onto the package for us

before you return it to church so we know how to

distribute it. Gifts should be returned no later than

Sunday, December 15th at noon. Thank you.

POINSETTIAS FOR THE SHUT-INS: Our list of members who

should receive a plant for Christmas is starting to ‘shrink’.

Please let us know of someone who should be on our list

to receive a plant at the holidays. Contact Helene

Ballas at 818-642-8011. Plants will be available for pick up

in the coffee hour on December 22 after church.

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. Solicitation packages for the

Program Book are out in the mail. Invitations will follow

soon. Please save the date and plan to join us!

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PHILOPTOHOS NEWS So many people trying to live on social security come to

Philoptohos for help. After paying their rent they have

practically no money left for food, for toothpaste, cold

medicine, soap, socks, etc. Many of these people catch

a cold or flu and rather than buy medicine to get well, or

go to a doctor, they use what little money they have left

for food. We also have a few people that are sick and

we are assisting them with cards to Target so they can

buy things they need. Please help us to help all these

people. Donate a gift card to a pharmacy or Target

(which has pharmacies). If you prefer, consider making

a donation to Philoptohos so we can continue giving gift

cards to these people. Thank you.

MOTHER OF THE YEAR: Philoptohos is now accepting

letters of recommendation for Mother of the Year. You

may send your letter to us in care of the church office.

Please get your letter in to us no later than February 1st.

As we enter the Christmas season we remember a star

that shone bright in the sky over a manger. Wise Men

brought gifts. We haven’t forgotten that night through

the centuries. We remember it with gifts for everyone

except for the child born in the manger. Let us ask

ourselves what he would want. To help and remember

those who need a little love and attention are the true

gifts of Christmas.

“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

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MINISTRY NEWS

16TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS MUSICFEST - TONIGHT!

Saint Sophia Cathedral 16th Annual Christmas

Musicfest under the Byzantine Dome - "The Great

Choruses of Christmas" TONIGHT, December 8, 2013 at

7:00 p.m. The program will include Orthodox Christmas

hymns and chants, traditional carols of the holiday

season and several choruses from works by Johann

Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, Camille Saint-Saens,

Cesar Franck and George Frederick Handel. The

concert will feature two chanters: Dimitri Liogris and

Michael Kontaxis along with the Saint Sophia

Cathedral Choir and Chamber Ensemble under the

direction of Jim H. Kollias, and the Harmonies of Saint

Thomas all Girls Choir, under the direction of Antonio

Espinal. Freewill offering. Reception immediately

following the concert in the Maniatakos Fellowship Hall

and the Maria Maniatakos Pavilion.

JOY OF PARENTING CLASSES IN THE HUFFINGTON CTR.

Join your fellow parishioners in a lively discussion of

parenting 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. Today’s Class: Dec. 8,

"Christmastime Traditions." 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.

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MINISTRY NEWS

COFFEE HOUR FEATURING: GO GREEK YOGURT

You won’t want to miss coffee hour today! We will

have a special treat from Go Greek Yogurt, a brand

new shop in Beverly Hills. Check out their website at

www.gogreekyogurt.com

SAVE THE DATES:

Feb. 1: The Philoptochos presents, "An Evening with

Friends," honoring parishioners Jim Demetriou, Tony

Demetriou, & Andy Evangelatos.

Feb. 2: Super Bowl Party! In the Jim Gianopoulos family

theater. Sponsored by the Parish Council.

Feb. 8: Greek Dance Group's Annual Glendi, in the

Maniatakos Hall.

Feb. 22: Apokreas (Greek Mardi Gras), fun for all ages,

in the Maniatakos Hall. Sponsored by the Parish

Council.

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 St.

Sophia Cathedral invites middle and high school

students to volunteer in the Narthex during Divine

Liturgy. 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 date: Jan. 5

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MINISTRY NEWS

LIGHT THE CATHEDRAL WITH LOVE

The Cathedral will be surrounded with a beautiful

arrangement of candlelit luminaries during the

upcoming Christmas concert. To sponsor a $10

luminary in honor or memory of your loved ones see

Presvytera Danita in the Maniatokos Fellowship Hall

during Coffee Hour and get your sign-up pamphlet.

HELLENIC SOCIETY OF CONSTANTINOPLE

SAVE THE DATE: SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 2014. 47th

Annual Vasilopita Dinner Dance at the Wilshire Country

Club. For information call Mary Morrison (818)500-0904

or Jeanette Owens Benedatos (323)660-5757

ADULT GREEK DANCE

Want to do something fun? Meet new friends and

renew acquaintances, feel good and look good?

Look no further than the Adult Greek Dance For Fun

here at Saint Sophia.

WHERE: HUFFINGTON CENTER/ST SOPHIA CATHEDRAL

WHEN: SATURDAYS, JANUARY 4 – MARCH 8, 2014

TIME: 11 AM – 1 PM

FEE: $140 (Returning Students $120)

INSTRUCTOR: RAMSEY SEIKALY

CONTACT: Saint Sophia Office 323 737 2424

YOUNG ADULT FELLOWSHIP: TUESDAYS—7:00PM

This Tuesday the Forum will enjoy an evening of Christ

centered fellowship. Join the Forum this Tuesday

December 10th in the Maniatakos Pavilion at 7:00pm.

Like us on Facebook! facebook.com/cwla.forum

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MINISTRY NEWS

MR. & MRS. CLUB CHRISTMAS PARTY SATURDAY DEC. 14

Mr. & Mrs. Club of St. Sophia, let us join together in

fellowship as a wonderful celebration is planned for us

by the very gracious and generous, Nick and Hilda

James, who have offered to open up their lovely

home for a Mr. & Mrs. Club gathering.

Please attend this POT LUCK get together, on

Saturday, December 14, 2013, with couples whom you

already know and new friends that you're sure to

make at that time. There will be Christmas caroling

and fun and games.

To RSVP Please contact:

Dean & Christina Peratsakis

Phone:818-618-1602

Email: cperatsakis@yahoo.com

Location:

The home of Nicolas and Hilda James

Date: Saturday, December 14, 2013

Time: 7:00 P.M.

Place: 3379 Country Club Drive, Glendale, CA 91208

Phone: 818-269-2377

Merry Christmas!

CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS

Donations are being accepted for Cathedral

Poinsettias, Any amount is accepted and may be

used as memorial donations, You may indicate on the

memo line of your gift as "Christmas Flowers" Any

additional information please see Jimmy in the

Narthex.

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CASH FOR CHRISTMAS RAFFLE—DECEMBER 25

The 34th Annual Cash for Christmas Raffle will be held

in the Maniatakos Fellowship Hall on Christmas day

after the Divine Liturgy. Pick up a Christmas Raffle flyer

in the Fellowship Hall during Coffee Hour. $50,000 in

cash prizes. Tickets on sale for $100. Buy multiple tickets

to increase your chances at one of 15 cash prizes!

Tickets Available from these committee members:

CHAIRPERSONS TIMI LOOMOS FRESHMAN AND JIM

ZAFERIS, Father John Bakas, Irene Andreadis, Bertha

Angels, Nick Bissias, Tina Callas, Chris Daglas, John

Dalis, Jim Demetriou, Tony Demetriou, Vickie

Deryiades, Alek Haidos, Jeanine Hanna, Steve Hanna,

Jimmy Karatsikis, Joyce Kokkinides, John Kopatsis, Gig

Kyriacou, Glenn Lianos, Eleni Manolelis, Loula

Moschonas, Ann Pappas, Brent Noyes, Alex Oxyzolou,

Peter Pallas, Dean Peratsakis, George Preonas, Karen

Sarames, John Stamatiades, Dorothy Spirus

SAINT SOPHIA ANNUAL CHRISTMAS BAKE SALE—NEXT SUNDAY

SUNDAY DECEMBER 15TH: Baklava, Meloakarana,

Koulourakia and much, much more! Preorders and

special request are now being accepted. Please call

Demitra Koutsos at 818-903-7059.

All proceeds benefit the

Saint Sophia Dance Ministry.

LAST CHANCE FOR CHRISTMAS CARD!

To have your family included in the Annual Christmas

Card please submit your donations and names to

Saint Sophia no later than Wednesday December

11th. Thank you!

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COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS CARD

RESERVATION FORM

Once again, the Cathedral will be sending Christmas

greeting cards to the parish, listing the names of those

who wish to contribute $35.00 or more towards this effort.

This Christmas greeting card will be sent to the entire

congregation, saving you valuable time and the expense

of cards and postage during the Christmas holidays.

Please return this form to the church office quickly, to

insure you are included.

Print your name(s) below as you would like it to appear on

this year’s Christmas card:

__________________________________________________

Please pay by cash, credit card or check, made out to

Saint Sophia Cathedral. You can also pay online at the

church website: www.stsophia.org/donate

Credit Card #:_________________________ Exp. ___________

Check #: _________________ Cash payment ? ____

Total Amount Paid: _______________

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