DECEMBER 6, 2015

Saint Sophia

Cathedral Communiqué

10th Sunday of Saint Luke

Saint Sophia Cathedral 1324 S. Normandie Ave Los Angeles, CA 90006

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

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.

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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

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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...BAPSAEFCall 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”.

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Spanakopita Pan $25

Tyropita Pan $25

Bougatsa Pan $25

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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"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 left-

side 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

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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

Inner Stillness

Meditation

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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.

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" For-

giveness .

7 May 8, 2016 "Happiness and Spirituality" Detachment

8 June 6, 2016 "Happiness and Spirituality" Abundance

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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

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