12
I would like to thank everyone for the most beautiful services during Holy Week and Pascha. Our members worked together to provide not only food and fellowship, but beautiful singing and worship. It is pleasing to God when we do this, but it is also good for us: "Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity!" (Psalm 133/134:1). May God bless you all, and thank you for blessing our lives. +Fr Brendan LESSONS FROM FIG TREES During Great Lent, we planted three fig trees at our house. Each one is different from the others. One is an ever- bearing tree; one bears small, brown figs; and one is a special tree adapted to Texas weather, with large watery figs. Two of them grow to be quite tall, but one will probably spread out nearly twenty feet, providing shade under its branches. These trees reminded me that during Holy Week, we heard much about fig trees. “From the fig tree, learn its lesson” says Jesus (Matthew 24:32). Following the celebration of Holy Pascha, the great Feast of the Resurrection, it is also timely for us to think about what we should do now and into the future. What lessons do fig trees provide us? In the New Testament, there are at least four: 1) We can tell when summer is near by looking at the fig tree (Matthew 24:32). When a fig tree begins to put out new leaves and shoots, winter is over. Soon the tree will bear fruit. In the same way, we are to look for the signs of the Day of Judgment coming upon the Earth. Jesus reminds his disciples that we do not know when that day is, just as we cannot tell when an individual fig will appear or exactly on what day it will be ripe; but we can have a reasonable idea that the day is coming. So today, we can recognize many signs that the world is in distress and that it cannot last very long on its present course. 2) Jesus caused a fig tree to wither because it did not have any fruit, even though it was not the season for figs (Mark 11:13). This reminds us of two things. One is that in the Kingdom of Heaven, the Tree of Life will bear twelve kinds of fruit throughout the year (Revelation 22:2). The other is that we are supposed to bear the fruit of the Spirit every day in our lives, not just sometimes. Jesus cursed the treesymbolic of Israelbecause it was not bearing any fruit. But it should have responded to His presence by putting forth fruit for Him. We should do the same. 3) Fig trees do not bear olives; grape vines do not produce figs (James 3:12). As Christians, we are meant to bear spiritual fruit, not the kinds of fruit that the world brings. “Bear fruit that befits repentance,” says John the Baptist to the Pharisees (Matthew 3:8). What is in our heart will be obvious from the way we Holy Wisdom Holy Wisdom Holy Wisdom Holy Wisdom St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church, Founded in 1926 2504 N. St. Mary’s Street, San Antonio, TX 78212-3799 Office: 210-735-5051 Emergency : 210-788-8797 May Newsletter

2016 May Newsletter online - St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Churchstsophiagoc.org/assets/files/Newsletters/2016 May Newsletter... · Res recti ˚it is alstimely f to t abt w t we s w a

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I would like to thank everyone for the most beautiful services during Holy Week and Pascha. Our members

worked together to provide not only food and fellowship, but beautiful singing and worship. It is pleasing to

God when we do this, but it is also good for us: "Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell

together in unity!" (Psalm 133/134:1). May God bless you all, and thank you for blessing our lives. +Fr Brendan

LESSONS FROM FIG TREES

During Great Lent, we planted three fig trees at our house. Each one is different from the others. One is an ever-bearing tree; one bears small, brown figs; and one is a special tree adapted to Texas weather, with large watery

figs. Two of them grow to be quite tall, but one will probably spread out nearly twenty feet, providing shade under its branches.

These trees reminded me that during Holy Week, we heard much about fig trees. “From the fig tree, learn its

lesson” says Jesus (Matthew 24:32). Following the celebration of Holy Pascha, the great Feast of the Resurrection, it is also timely for us to think about what we should do now and into the future. What lessons do

fig trees provide us? In the New Testament, there are at least four:

1) We can tell when summer is near by looking at the fig tree (Matthew 24:32). When a fig tree begins to

put out new leaves and shoots, winter is over. Soon the tree will bear fruit. In the same way, we are to

look for the signs of the Day of Judgment coming upon the Earth. Jesus reminds his disciples that we do

not know when that day is, just as we cannot tell when an individual fig will appear or exactly on what

day it will be ripe; but we can have a reasonable idea that the day is coming. So today, we can recognize

many signs that the world is in distress and that it cannot last very long on its present course.

2) Jesus caused a fig tree to wither because it did not have any fruit, even though it was not the season for

figs (Mark 11:13). This reminds us of two things. One is that in the Kingdom of Heaven, the Tree of

Life will bear twelve kinds of fruit throughout the year (Revelation 22:2). The other is that we are

supposed to bear the fruit of the Spirit every day in our lives, not just sometimes. Jesus cursed the tree—

symbolic of Israel—because it was not bearing any fruit. But it should have responded to His presence

by putting forth fruit for Him. We should do the same.

3) Fig trees do not bear olives; grape vines do not produce figs (James 3:12). As Christians, we are meant

to bear spiritual fruit, not the kinds of fruit that the world brings. “Bear fruit that befits repentance,” says

John the Baptist to the Pharisees (Matthew 3:8). What is in our heart will be obvious from the way we

Holy WisdomHoly WisdomHoly WisdomHoly Wisdom

St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church,

Founded in 1926

2504 N. St. Mary’s Street,

San Antonio, TX 78212-3799

Office: 210-735-5051

Emergency : 210-788-8797

May Newsletter

PAGE 2 ST. SOPHIA GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

look. St Paul reminds us that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22).

4) Just as fig trees drop their fruit in a storm, the stars will fall and the Earth will be shaken on the Last

Day (Revelation 6:13). The vision of St John the Evangelist of the end of the world is truly frightening,

but we do not need to be afraid. We learn from it, though, that everything we know in this world is

only temporary. Nothing can withstand the hand of God. Not only will all that we possess be gone at

the Last Day, but the stars themselves will fall and the entire universe will dissolve. Therefore, we

should give more attention to how we live—so that we cultivate spiritual fruit—than what we can

acquire of the things of the world.

Finally, like the trees in my back yard, each one of us is a unique human being. Each one of us has a different

character. Each one of us is fruitful in our own ways. For the garden to be complete, every one of us needs to

be there and to bear the fruit we were created to bear. We complement each other, and no one should be left

out.

St. Sophia is a wonderful parish. Together, we make up a fine garden with much fruit. I thank you all for doing

all that you can to make ours a sweet-smelling and fruitful place, where we can enjoy worship together, and

the gifts of God “from Ages to Ages,” until the Last Day.

+Fr Brendan

2016 Camp Emmanuel

Junior Session: June 12-18, 2016 (Ages 11-14) Senior Session: June 19-25, 2016 (Ages 15-18)

Each year Camp Emmanuel offers participants ages 11-18 an opportunity to retreat away from the everyday and experience life in a nurturing Orthodox Christian community. Camp Emmanuel utilizes the Manzano Mountain Retreat facility in Torreon, New Mexico, outside of Albuquerque. Registration is now open. Go to http://youth.denver.goarch.org/events/2015-camp-emmanuel-home/

Online Camper Registration and payment must be completed by 11:59 p.m. MDT, on May 1, 2016. The Youth Essay, Medical Form, Insurance Information, and Agreement and Waiver must be received by May 15th at the Metropolis Office in order for the registration to be complete. Unfortunately, we cannot accept new registrations after May 1, under any circumstances. Thank you for your understanding.

The Regular Registration Fee is $350 ($330 for additional children in the same immediate family).

A cancellation fee of $100 will be assessed for each cancelled registration. All registration fees will be subject to forfeit for cancellations taking place after May 10, 2016.

Camp Emmanuel offers two sessions each summer (Junior Session and Senior Session), each one week in length. The Junior session is for young people ages 11-14 and the Senior Session for ages 15-18. Camp Emmanuel utilizes the Manzano Mountain Retreat facility in Torreon, New Mexico, outside of Albuquerque.

PAGE 3 ST. SOPHIA GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

Grief & Loss Support Group Sts. Constantine and Helen

In the Fall Fr. Brendan will begin a monthly

meeting for families who have lost infants or

children through miscarriage, illness or other

reasons. This will be an anonymous small-group

meeting for mutual support and discussion about

grief and loss, and how to deal with the personal

pain that results. Both men and women are

encouraged to attend. An organizational meeting

will be held on May 17 at 7 pm at St Sophia. If

you cannot attend but would like to be part of the

group, please notify Fr. Brendan

2016 Church Organizations2016 Church Organizations2016 Church Organizations2016 Church Organizations

Parish Council, Toni Grauke, President…….....210-452-3800

GOYA

Katerina Papanikolaou, President………..….…....210-452-5822

Danny Organ, Advisor…………….……….….....210-545-7597

YAL

Juleen Sanftner, President ………………..….…...210-872-0844

Stewardship Committee

Doyle Dunn…………………………………….....210-320-6343

John Lyons…………………………………......…682-556-2372

Philoptochos

Laurene Dunn, President ……………….…...…….210-320-6343

Sunday School

Tomi Papanikolaou………………………....…….210-542-5822

Outreach Committee Chair

Nena Bratianu……………………...……...……...210-651-6566

Librarian/Archivist/WEB Master

Marlene Graham…………[email protected]

Hellenic Organizations

AHEPA

Costa Sgagias, President ……….....……...………210-659-2677

Daughters of Penelope

Kathy Kaberides, President ………………...….....210-381-8135

PARISH COUNCIL

• Antoinette (Toni) Grauke

President

• Costas Sgagias

Vice-President

• Sandra Salas

Treasurer

• Pam Layden

Secretary

• Steve Brown

• Stan Masters

• Harris Papahronis

• Roger Sanftner

• Christina Welzbacher

PAGE 4 ST. SOPHIA GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

In Memory of Georg Carson

We remember our father who has passed

during this joyous season of Pascha. During the

Lenten season we learn that death is not an end, but

the continuation of a Christian relationship and a

new beginning in our journey with Christ.

Our father was a man of inspiring passion,

endless humor, a love for our church, and always

proud of his family. A long-time parishioner and

the son of a St. Sophia founding father, he served as

President of the Parish Council in 1967 and 1968

and as a one-time act as Socrates during the

FUNstival!

For his children, he never quit giving. He

encouraged us to do our best and imparted his

wisdom to us. Never short of sharing his joy of his

family with others or telling a life story, no stranger

went away from him without becoming a friend. He

had a compassionate heart for the human race and

enjoyed seeing others succeed and do well.

You could find him downtown having his

favorite oysters at the Gunter Hotel or at Milam

Building where he was passionate about his

work. At the sound of the Aggie War Hymn, he was

the first ready to Gig’em. He gave us joy at the

unforgettable first dance at the marriage of his

daughter, Penelope, when guests exclaimed, “Look

at George!” as he shook and twisted to Brown Eyed

Girl. Proud of his homeland of Greece, he would

share their virtue, Παν μέτρον άριστον, everything

in moderation, or quote that Greeks do not fight like

heroes, but heroes fight like Greeks. He would mark

in his notes “Greater love hath no man than this, that

a man lay down his life for his friends” John 15:13.

Our father, George John Carson, certainly

led a life of love and service for his friends, family,

and our church. He now continues in his journey

with Christ. Dad, you are truly missed. May your

memory be eternal.

John, Penelope, and Philip.

I would like to sincerely thank the anonymous

donors, the parish, and the Parish Council of St.

Sophia for giving me the opportunity to attend the

Metropolis level of the St. John Chrysostom

Oratorical Festival in Boulder, Colorado in April. I

think it is absolutely amazing that students from all

over our Metropolis are able to gather together in one

place to profess our faith so powerfully and to

represent our parishes at such a wonderful event. The

speaking is only a portion of the event, though. There

are also activities that bring us closer to one another

and unite us through Orthodoxy (and our Greekness,

of course!) These are friends that I’ll have forever!

We had the opportunity to speak with His Eminence

Metropolitan Isaiah to ask him questions about our

faith and how to apply it to our lives. It is truly a

learning experience, and I feel so blessed that I

received the honor of attending with your support.

So, once again, thank you so much for giving me this

chance to not only learn how to defend my faith, but

also to grow closer to God by learning so much more

about it. It is a blessing I will never forget.

Sincerely, Rini Tsounakas

Fr. Jordan, Rini and His Eminence

Thank You!

ST. SOPHIA GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH PAGE 5

Ladies Philoptochos Society

Christos Anesti, Alethos Anesti! Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those

in the tombs bestowing life. This is the day which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Pascha Blessings to all of our sisters and brothers! What a glorious and beautiful time of the year. With

Spring in full bloom, Philoptochos continues to help those in need locally, nationally and globally.

At our general membership meeting April 9th, members met and prepared hygiene kits for IOCC that will be

given to those who have been displaced by natural disasters, floods, earthquakes, etc. There is still an

opportunity to help if you missed the hands on work. We are seeking monetary donations to help pay for the

cost of shipping to IOCC distribution center.

On April 18th, our Mobile Loaves and Fishes lunch prep team braved the rains to make 103 sandwiches for

sack meals given to hungry persons in need.

May 21st, Saturday 2-4:30pm “CANVAS BY YOU”

Plans are in full swing for our major fundraiser for local charities this year! Philoptochos invites all to join

us for in Mangos Hall. An afternoon of artsy fun and mingling with friends is planned with appetizers,

desserts and a cash bar. You will be guided step-by-step, by our local artist Maries-Claire Valdez, to create a

masterpiece on canvas which you will take home.

No art experience is needed… come and join us for an afternoon of fun and fellowship as we raise money for

local charities. A donation of $35 will include appetizers, desserts and all the art supplies as well as

professional instruction. You must prepay to hold your spot – tickets will be available after church on

Sundays, or contact Pam Layden (210-481-9278) or Elly Watkins (210-386-4217). Babysitting will be

available for a fee, contact Elly or Pam for reservation.

Philoptochos Dates to Remember:

Sunday, May 1 PASCHA. Christ is Risen!

Wednesday, May 4 Philoptochos Board Meeting at 6:00pm

Monday, May 16 Mobile Loaves and Fishes Lunch Prep Team 9:30 am at St Mark Catholic Church. To volunteer, contact Lauri Dunn

Saturday, May 21 Canvas by You! Fun and Fellowship as you create your own masterpiece on canvas! Make your Reservations Now!

Friday, Jun 17th Evening Class on making Koliva (boiled wheat dish) for Memorials.

With the passing of many of our YiaYias, this beautiful tradition is in danger of being lost.

Vickie Kouroumousis has agreed to offer this class to all interested parishioners,

men as well as women. Contact Vickie or Lauri Dunn if you would like to learn

how to make koliva.

ST. SOPHIA GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH PAGE 6

AHEPA A BIG thank you to the Ahepans that showed up to

help with the annual pre-Pascha cleaning of our

beloved St. Sophia on Saturday, April 23 - - but

it was disappointing that only a handful of

parishioners showed up to help.

Hopefully everyone will be able to join us on

Sunday, May 8, as we host coffee hour to

recognize “AHEPA Day”.

Don’t forget our next Blood Drive is scheduled for

Sunday, May 22. If you can, please donate the

‘gift of life’.

In June our ‘Greek Booth’ will once again be part

of the Texas Folklife Festival for the 45th straight

year. This year’s festival will be three days: Friday

- June 10, 5pm to 11pm, Saturday - June 11,

11am to 11pm, and Sunday June 12, noon to

7pm. Signup sheets are available in Mangos

Hall. We need about 20 folks per shift so please

consider signing up to help.

As we have done in the past, enclosed is a letter

asking for donations to help off-set the expenses

of our booth. Don’t forget, we share the profits

with our Beloved Church. In addition, this option

provides an excellent opportunity for those who

may not be able to work at the Folklife Festival to

make a contribution to this worthwhile event.

Thank you in advance for your support of all our

AHEPA events.

Our next AHEPA meeting will not be until

September 12, 2016, 7pm. Till then please check

your email/mail for information about our events.

God Bless,

Constantine Sgagias

Happy Mother’s Day!

April has been an extremely busy month for our Chapter. We opened the month with our meeting on April 11th. Delegates for our upcoming District convention in June were selected. This year’s representatives are Sandy Salas, Kay Sgagias, Olga Fafoutakis and me. Our slate for officers next was also established and we will vote on these positions at our May meeting. So, please, if at all possible, come show your support for these volunteers.

Congrats to George Hathaway, our raffle basket winner! I would also like to thank all of those who supported our annual Pascha Bake Sale. A very special thanks for all who came to help with the actual baking. We had wonderful support from our community, the AHEPANS and our own Chapter. It was a huge success and it couldn’t have been without your support!

For those members who have not sent in their 2016 dues, please do so now. Dues may be mailed to the church office and please annotate “2016 Dues” on the memo line. Dues for this year are $47.00. If you have not paid your 2015 dues, but want continuity in you membership, you may do so, but will also need to include your past year(s) dues at the new current rate of $47.00 for each year or you will need to complete an application for reinstatement and include the $15.00 reinstatement fee with your payment and application. If you have any questions, please contact me.

Our annual Rummage Sale will be held July 29th and 30th this year and we will begin collecting donations after the last day of Sunday school (May 15th). We also provide tax receipts for your donation. So, please go ahead and begin saving for us!

If you are interested in learning more about the Daughters of Penelope, please let us know. You do not have to be Orthodox to be a member as we are a Hellenic organization and we would love to tell you more!

Our next scheduled meeting is May 9th at 7:00pm in the double classroom. We will be wearing decorated hats in honor of Mother’s Day (the day before) and playing bingo after our business is conducted. It’s sure to be a fun evening, so please join us!!

Looking forward to a very busy summer! In Theta Pi, Kathy Kaberides, President

Daughters of Penelope

PAGE 7 ST. SOPHIA GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

Sunday Church School

St. Paisios said, “When your children are still small, you have to help them understand what is good. That is

the deepest meaning of life.” The Saint Sophia Sunday Church School is thankful that many of you have

chosen to include God and His Church as part of what is good.

This year, our wonderful teachers have prepared more than 30 lessons, lasting approximately 30 minutes each,

for your children. With preparation, that’s about 30 volunteer hours of teaching per teacher, for SCS

alone! The classroom experience can be challenging, as the teachers sometimes have to contend with kids' cell

phones, disruptive kids, and/or parents pulling children out early. But the joy that we see when our children

discover more about God is a blessing for each of us.

Our Youth Ministry is growing, and our SCS is grateful to have Father Brendan and Presvytera as devoted and

knowledgeable participants. I'd like to personally thank the Parish Council for their full cooperation with this

SCS Director’s requests. These children are the future of St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church, and by God’s

grace, all the time and effort that we give to our Youth Ministry will be multiplied and given back for those

that come after us.

To mark the end of our 2015-2016 SCS year, we will have a graduation ceremony on Sunday, May 15,

following the Divine Liturgy. All parents are encouraged to bring light refreshments. Looking ahead,

Vacation Church School has tentatively been scheduled for Aug 15-18, 2016, and our new SCS year will start

on September 11, 2016.

We are always looking for extra hands in our SCS. 1 Peter 4:10says, “As each one as received a gift, minister

it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” If you feel called to offer of yourself to

our Sunday Church School, please contact Father Brendan, at 735-5051, or me at [email protected].

In His Service,

Your SCS Staff: Tomi Papanikolaou, Director

Megan and Jason Crandall

Souha Diab

Kevin Dolan

George Gavallos

Amy Main

Panos Papanikolaou

Presvytera Sharon Pelphrey

Dorothy Sawyer

Georgia Zannaras

Kristen Zgonis

High School Graduates

Nathanael Hathaway will be graduating from Johnson High School and will enroll in the Physical Therapy program at St. Phillips College in San Antonio, Texas.

Lindsay Walker will be graduating from Roosevelt High School—Summa Cum Laude. She will be going to UTSA in the fall.

PAGE 8 ST. SOPHIA GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

Greetings,

It is time to get ready for the 45th Texas Folklife Festival. Our ‘Greek Booth’ has been part of the Texas Folklife Festival since 1972. The festival gives us the opportunity to keep our Greek culture ever present in the San Antonio Community. It also allows everyone from our community to come together to work, have some fun and support a worthwhile cause.

This year’s festival will be a three day festival: Friday, June 10, 5pm – 11pm, Saturday, June 11, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. and Sunday, June 12, Noon - 7 pm. Our booth will be at the same location as last year .

We work hard to keep expenses to a minimum and to maximize our profits. However, with the cost of items increasing every year it is becoming difficult to do. We have considered raising our prices but, we do not believe this is a viable option. Don’t forget we share the profits with our Beloved St. Sophia.

Another option we thought of, is to ask for donations of items that we use. For example, a case of napkin costs about $20.00. If someone was to donate the money for that case, it would reduce our expenses and increase our profit.

Also, this option does provide an excellent opportunity for those who may not be able to work at the festival to make a contribution to this worthwhile cause.

Listed on the reverse side is the approximate cost of some items we use. We ask that you consider donating the cost of one or more of the items to help offset the expenses.

Please make checks payable to “AHEPA” and mail to the Church Office, 2504 North St. Mary’s Street, San Antonio, TX 78212.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Costas Sgagias, Texas Folklife Festival Chairman

I would like to donate the cost of the following item(s) in support of the Texas Folklife Festival.

Please make checks payable to “AHEPA”

Total Donation: $ _______________

Check # Enclosed: _________________

Name: ___________________________________

Address: _________________________________

_________________________________

Email: ___________________________________

Phone Number: ___________________________

Item Cost Number

Boats ( Gyro) - Case $20.00 ___________

Gyro Meat - Case $77.00 ___________

Foil Sheets - Case $45.00 ___________

Napkins - Case $20.00 ___________

Onions Diced - Case $18.00 ___________

Pita - Case $27.00 ___________

Foil $28.00 ___________

Tomatoes – Case $27.00 ___________

PAGE 9 ST. SOPHIA GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

PARISH COUNCIL CORNER

You Asked during the Spring Assembly

1. Q: What was the distribution of 2014 FUNstival proceeds? A: Below is an extract from the 2015 Spring

Assembly minutes held on Sunday, April 26, 2015

2. Q: Why the high amount for the 2015 Office Supplies (#63070)? A: The increase was due to hiring a

CPA to to re-configure all the accounts in QuickBooks. Below is a complete breakdown.

3. Q: What expenses are included in the 2015 Miscellaneous Ecclesiastical Expenses (#61130)? A: The large amount was due to the moving expenses for Fr. Brendan ($5,500). Below is a complete

breakdown.

4. Q: Why is there a GOYA donation income (#43000) line item but not an expense line item for GOYA? A: It

appears this line item is donations made to GOYA not GOYA donations to St. Sophia. GOYA

expenses are listed in (#61120), Church Sunday School, VBS & Youth Expense. We plan on meeting

with GOYA and Church Sunday School to determine what is the best way to capture income and

expenses. More to come on this.

PAGE 10 ST. SOPHIA GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

2016 Stewardship Pledges As of April 27th2016 Stewardship Pledges As of April 27th2016 Stewardship Pledges As of April 27th2016 Stewardship Pledges As of April 27th

Mr. & Mrs. Barclay Anthony

Mrs. Chrissy Anthony

Mr. & Mrs. Nick Anthony

Mr. Peter Anton

Mrs. Vasilica Arcanu

Mr. & Mrs. Greg Asvestas

Miss Stephanie Asvestas

Mr. & Mrs. Rudy Bagnato

Mr. & Mrs. Jack Bellos

Mr. & Mrs. Edward Bishop

Mr. Christopher Bond

Mr. Argie Bonduris

Mr. & Mrs. Nasr Botros

Mrs. Estelle Bournias

Mrs. Nena Bratianu

Mr. & Mrs. Steven Broadaway

Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Brown

Ms. Charlotte Bullock

Mr. Steve Calamars

Mr. & Mrs. Peter Callins

Mrs. Olga Callins

Mr. Louis Cardenas

Mr. Chris Carson

Mrs. Catherine Carson

Mrs. George Carson

Ms. Niki Cascio

Mrs. Annette Cash

Mrs. Katherine Catsifas

Mrs. Katherine Copas

Mr. & Mrs. John Costa

Mr. & Mrs. Nick Costas

Mr. & Mrs. Jason Crandall

Mr. & Mrs. David Crane

Mrs. Anastasia Dale

Mrs. Lynda Dale-Roos

Mr. & Mrs. Dean Danos

Mr. John Danos

Mrs. Beatrice Demitre

Mr. Phillip G. Demitre

Mr. & Mrs. Dimitrios Dimas

Mr. & Mrs. Dan Dimitriu

Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Dolan

Mr. & Mrs. James Dracopoulos

Mr. & Mrs. Doyle Dunn

Mr. & Mrs. Mike Eldred

Mr. & Mrs. Kalliopi Evans

Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Fadrowski

Mrs. Maggie Flannery

Mr. & Mrs. Sostenes Flores

Mr. & Mrs. John Fotopoulos

Mr. & Mrs. George Gavallos

Mr. & Mrs. James Georgoulakis

Ms. Mary Ellen Georgoulakis

Mr. & Mrs. Victor Gerleman

Mr. & Mrs. William Goodwin

Mr. Basile Goungetas

Mr. & Mrs. John Graham

Ms. Antoinette Grauke

Mr. & Mrs. Tom Green

Mrs. Christina Hamblin

Mr. Nickolas Hamblin

Mr. George Hathaway

Mrs. Aspasia Hensley

Ms. Jean Homitsky

Mrs. Athena Houghtaling

Mr. & Mrs. Marq Hughes

Col. Harry Jaffers

Mr. & Mrs. Peter Kaberides

Mr. & Mrs. Bill Karras

Mr. & Mrs. Kostantinos Kastis

Mr. & Mrs. Peter Kastis

Fr. & Mrs. John Kondratick

Mr. & Mrs. Iraklis Kouroumousis

Mr. Jerry Kouroumousis

Mrs. Eunice Kritsidimas

Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Kylitis

Mr. & Mrs. Constantinos Kylitis

Mr. & Mrs. Ralph LaRochelle

Mrs. June Laurel

Mr. & Mrs. William Layden

Mr. Albert Lymberry

Mr. John Lyons

Mrs. Fran MacDonald

Mr. & Mrs. Constantine Malouf

Mr. & Mrs. Sam Maropis

Mr. & Mrs. Stan Masters

Mr. William Mastoris

Mr. & Mrs. Symeon Michaelidis

Mr. & Mrs. Chris Morrell

Mr. & Mrs. Manuel Munoz

Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Nelson

Mrs. Helen Nelson

Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Organ

Mr. & Mrs. Roland Oslund

Mr. & Mrs. Harris Papahronis

Mr. & Mrs. Nikos Papanikolaou

Mr. & Mrs. Frank Papatonis

Dr. Chris Paris

Fr. & Pres. Brendan Pelphrey

Mr. & Mrs. Tony Pena

Ms. Ellen Pepps

Mrs. Mary C. Petrutsas

Ms. Donna Jean Philbrick

Mrs. Carrie Postolos

Mr. & Mrs. Howard Quinton

Mr. & Mrs. Noam Rand

Mr. & Mrs. John Reeves

Mr. & Mrs. Chris Rokas

Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Rosca

Mr. & Mrs. Frank Rosenkranz

Mr. & Mrs. Earl Ryburn

Mr. & Mrs. Mark Saenz

Mr. & Mrs. Luis Salas

Mr. & Mrs. Roger Sanftner

Mr. & Mrs. Tom Sauerwein

Mrs. Dorothy Sawyer

Mr. & Mrs. Costas Sgagias

Mrs. Assimo Sidler

Ms. Annie Sierra

Mr. & Dr. Peter Skountzos

Mr. & Mrs. Munther Shamieh

Mr. & Mrs. Tom Smith

Mr. & Mrs. Brent Smith

Mrs. Helen Stanley

Mr. & Mrs. James Stanley

Mr. & Mrs. Sotirios Stathakis

Mr. & Mrs. James Stutzman

Fr. & Prsv. Dan Suciu

Mr. & Mrs. Yeshewadar Teferra

Mr. & Mrs. Aynalem Tegene

Mr. & Mrs. Spyros Ticoras

Mr. & Mrs. Demetrios Tingas

Mr. & Mrs. Dan Titerle

Mr. & Mrs. Kline Torres

Mr. & Mrs. Ioannis Tsapakis

Mrs. Aliki Tsevdos

Mr. & Mrs. Tom Tsirigotis

Ms. Beth Tsounakas

Mr. & Mrs. John Tsouvalas

Mr. James Tsouvalas

Mr. James Vamvakias

Mr. & Mrs, Augustus Vangelakos

Mr. & Mrs. James Varelas

Mr. & Mrs. John Velentzas

Mr. & Mrs. Panagiotis Velentzas

Mr. & Mrs. James Verreos

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Vlattas

Mr. & Mrs. Floyd Walker

Mr. & Mrs. John Watkins

Ms. Christy Welzbacher

Mr. & Mrs. Nathan Wiegreffe

Ms. Stephanie Wilkinson

Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Wolf

Ms. Elly Xenakis

Mr. & Mrs. Demetrios Yiannos

Mrs. Georgia Zannaras

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Zgonis

St. George

The Great Martyr & Triumphant

Happy Birthday!

ST. SOPHIA GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH PAGE 11

Editor’s NoteEditor’s NoteEditor’s NoteEditor’s Note Remember that the Newsletter Newsletter Newsletter Newsletter deadline is May 15 for the June/July deadline is May 15 for the June/July deadline is May 15 for the June/July deadline is May 15 for the June/July 2016 issue2016 issue2016 issue2016 issue. You may either mail, fax or e-mail your articles or items before before before before the deadline to the Church Office.

(Addresses are on the front page). If your name does not appear in the

birthday or anniversary lists, please fill

out a Church Register form located in

the Hall pamphlet rack and return it to

the office. If you know anyone who is

ill and not on the Prayer List and

would like their name listed, call the

Church Office at 735-5051.

Our Church FamilyOur Church FamilyOur Church FamilyOur Church Family May 2016May 2016May 2016May 2016

Happy Anniversary!

Please pray for the brothers and sisters listed on the this page who are sick. If you are sick, please let us know so we can pray for you as God’s family. Please let us know when you are having surgical procedures and Fr. Brendan will perform the PARAKLEISIS Service during your procedure. In the event of any hospitalization, please let us know so we can bring the Lord’s comfort in prayer or sacrament.

MEMORIALS can be announced in the newsletter calendar, however, must be recorded by the 15th in the church office prior to the printing of the following months calendar. Newsletter deadlines remain the 15th of the month.

Remember in your Prayers

Chrissy Anthony

Argie Bonduris

Katie Copas

Dora Costa

Megan Crandall

Phillip Demitre

John Dracopoulos

Doyle Dunn

Kristina Frey

Michelle Frey Gutt

Don Hucthinson

Fr. John Kondratick

Olga Kouchoukos

Fr. John Mangos

Mimi Moultrup

Katie Nelson

Tomi Papanikolaou

Tom Poulos

Harry Rokas

Mina Sidler

Sophia Sotiriou

Helen Stanley

J. Tyler Stanley

Fr. Dan Suciu

Beth Tsounaks

Ismene Valescu

Nikki Walker

Sylvia Wolf

Anthony Zannaras

1- Juliann Sakelakos

2- Christina M. Hamblin

2- Andrew Paulson

2- Christina Perdikis

2- Justin Strout

2- Panagiotis (Peter) Velentzas

3- Timothy Swainhart

3- Senia Tovar

5- Caren Alyfantis

5- Ronald Khory

7- Nina Rokas

8- Alex Barrow Jr.

8- Ralph Cortinas

8- Maria Evans

8- Matthew Oserov

9- Sam Maropis

9- Emmanuel Michaelides

10- Rolf Butler

11- Peter C. Anton Sr.

11- Nicholas Berlint

11- Arianna Brown

12- Maritsa Dinibutun

13- Stephanie Tsapakis

13- Georgia Poenitzsch

13- Diana Tsirigotis

14- Dawn Mayo

14- Abel Tegene

15- Anastasia Dale

15- Lucas Khory

15- Lisa Papadopoulos

15- Jamil Sayfi

17- Penn Brown

17- Jessica Sauerwein

17- Thomas Vlattas

18- Paula M. Dodge

18- Alexander Dracopoulos

18- John N. Fotopoulos II

18- Charles Koutras

19- Luke Butler

19- Shane Poston

20- Annette Constandine

21- Michael Boutsis

22- Cynthia Asvestas

22- Alexia Organ

23- Andrea Nichols

23- Noor Shamieh

24- Louise Anna Eldred

24- George Geer

25- James Tsouvalas

26- Elizabeth Diakogiannis

26- Sotirios Peppas

27- Helen Frank

27- Nicholas Mitran

28- Sherry Fotopoulos

28- Alexandra Harris

2 Victor & Mimi Gerleman

3 James & Karen Stanley

6 Jeffery & Maria Boehme

12 Sammy & Anna Hale

14 Christ & Judith Coteff

14 Peter & Lamar Kastis

15 Dennis & Chris Peppas

16 Ron & Michelle Gutt

17 Rudy & Michelle Bagnato

24 John & Paula Dodge

24 Thimios & Barbara Partales

24 John & Francine Zannidachis

26 Michael & Christina Albrecht

26 Constantine & Sara Malouf

31 Eddie & Stacy Bishop

31 George & Liz Diakogiannis

31 Steve & Sofia Hudkins

31 Petros & Silvana Papagerakis

31 John & Sylvia Wolf

31 Fr. & Pres. Brendan Pelphrey

John 14:6John 14:6John 14:6John 14:6

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the

truth, and the life. No one comes to the truth, and the life. No one comes to the truth, and the life. No one comes to the truth, and the life. No one comes to the

Father, except through Me”Father, except through Me”Father, except through Me”Father, except through Me”

29- Annie Sierra

29- Myra Main

30- Ralph Erian

30- Kalliopi Evans

30- Nick Papanikolaou

30- Christos Rodriguez

31- Eleni Kylitis

31- Mark Saenz

31- John E. Zannidachis

Non-Profit

Organization

U.S. Postage

PAID San Antonio, TX

Permit No. 1212

SERVICES AND SCRIPTURE READINGS SERVICES AND SCRIPTURE READINGS SERVICES AND SCRIPTURE READINGS SERVICES AND SCRIPTURE READINGS

SPECIAL SERVICESSPECIAL SERVICESSPECIAL SERVICESSPECIAL SERVICES

8:30 am Orthros

10 am Divine Liturgy

St. George Monday, May 1

St. Constantine and Helen

Saturday, May 21

MAY SUNDAY SERVICES

10 AM DIVINE LITURGY

Sunday Epistle Reading: Acts 1:1-8 May 1 Gospel Reading: John 1:1-17 Sunday Epistle Reading: St. John 1st Letter 1:1-7 May 8 Gospel Reading: John 20:19-31 Sunday Epistle Reading: Acts 6:1-7 May 15 Gospel Reading: Mark 15:43-47; 16:1-8 Sunday Epistle Reading: Acts 9:32-42 May 22 Gospel Reading: John 5:1-15 Sunday Epistle Reading: Acts 11:19-30 May 29 Gospel Reading: John 4:5-42

Change Service Requested