The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America has released the following statement in response to the events in Charlottesville, VA.
The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America Response to Racist Violence in Charlottesville, VA
The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America stands with all people of good will in condemning the hateful violence and lamenting the loss of life that resulted from the shameful efforts to promote racial bigotry and white supremacist ideology in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The Orthodox Church emphatically declares that it does not promote, protect or sanction participation in such reprehensible acts of hatred, racism, and discrimination, and proclaims that such beliefs and behaviors have no place in any community based in respect for the law and faith in a loving God.
The essence of the Christian Gospel and the spirit of the Orthodox Tradition are entirely and self-evidently incompatible with ideologies that declare the superiority of any race over another. Our God shows no partiality or favoritism (Deuteronomy 10:17, Romans 2:11). Our Lord Jesus Christbroke down the dividing wall of hostility that had separated God from humans and humans from each other (Ephesians 2:14). In Christ Jesus, the Church proclaims, there can be neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male or female, but all are one (Galatians 3:28). Furthermore, we call on one another to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather to expose them(Ephesians 5:11). And what is darkness if not hatred? The one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness (1 John 2:11).
Furthermore, in 1872, Hierarchs from around the world assembled in Constantinople and denounced all forms of xenophobia and chauvinism (phyletism). They agreed that the promotion of racial or national supremacy and ethnic bias or dissension in the Church of Christ is to be censured as contrary to the sacred teachings of the Christian Gospel and the holy canons of the Church. It is formally condemned as heresy, the strongest category of false teaching.
Finally, such actions as we have witnessed in recent days, by self-proclaimed white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and various racists and fascists, betray the core human values of love and solidarity. In this, we pray wholeheartedly for the families of those who lost their lives or suffered in these tragic events. In like manner, we cannot condone any form of revenge or retaliation by any group or individual. Therefore, we fervently appeal to every person of good will, and especially the leaders of our great nation, to consider and adopt ways of reconciling differences in order to rise above any and all discrimination in our history, our present, and our future.
Hellenic Fairways Golf Classic is Now Open for Registration
The Hellenic Fairways Golf Classic is scheduled for Friday, October 27, 2017 at Willowbrook Golf Course. You can now register online for the Hellenic Golf Classic today at http://brownrhad.wixsite.com/hellenicfairways Also, for more information contact Rhad Brown at
brownrhad@gmail.com or by phone at 619-573-2304
See the "Inserts and Fliers" section below
The Stewardship Committee Thanks YOU
The Stewardship Committee thanks all of our faithful stewards for their commitment in supporting the services and activities offered to our parishioners and their families. Every week, our church community is energized with volunteers giving of their precious Time,Talent and Treasure to support our church, our ministries, our seniors and our youth. Our parish continually works to increase the financial support needed by our varied and many parish ministries. The upcoming expansion of our church parking lot is a tremendous blessing that will hopefully encourage more of you to come and share the Love of Christ in prayer and fellowship. Please remember that these improvements are only possible through your generous gifts of stewardship. Please continue help us through consistent monthly giving so that we can respond to the needs of your parish. We have much to accomplish in the years ahead and your generosity and sacrifice are needed.
May God Great continue to bless your families as faithful stewards of our community in Christ.
The Stewardship Committee of Saint Spyridon GOC
John Kalas, Stewardship Chair Fr. Andrew Scordalakis
Jim Gilpin, Greg Kostas, Bill Navrides, Ben De La Riva, Stephen Thiros and Spero Tzathas
Altar Server Team for This Sunday, August 20th
St. John: Captain: John Navrides, Justin (Niko) Davis, Michael Defelippi, Luke Georggin, Theo Huntalas, Andrew Kaitson, Matei Popa, Alexios Savvides, John Savvides.
SAVE THE DATE! - The Pan Arcadians - "Destiny of Distinction"
The Pan Arcadians are busily making plans for their annual fund raiser “Destiny of Distinction”. The gala will be held September 30 at 5:00 PM in the Cypress Room of St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church.
The event will feature a social hour with appetizers and a full Greek dinner complete with wine, music and dancing. Tickets are $75 for adults $25 children under twelve. Reservations: Sam Tzathas (619)917-9534 or Angie Georggin (619)972-6410.
This year’s “Destiny of Distinction” recipients are Father Simeon Corona, Father Andrew Scordalakis, and Father Michael Sitaras. They will be honored for their services to our communities and their unfailing support of our organization and its charities. Our scholarship recipient, Mary Kathryn Fellios, will also be recognized that night.
Please support our scholarship fund by placing messages in our program book. Consider offering your greetings to the honorees or family members. You may also memorialize your loved ones. We request that the messages be in the form of a word document and attached to the email. For further information, please email Fred Georggin at freggo@aol.com or Sam Tzathas at sotiros@n2.net. More information to follow. See you at the gala!
Adrienne Robas Bell, President Tegea 101
Anthousa Chapter of Philoptochos invites you to….
Membership, Munchies and Mimosas
Sunday, October 15th
Join us in the Hall after the Divine Liturgy – we can’t wait to share with you what we have planned for this coming Fall & Holiday season and the New Year! You will have an opportunity to join a committee, learn more about Philoptochos and our Ministries, become a member, and enjoy the sisterhood of your fellow Ladies of Philoptochos. We believe the good works of our Anthousa Philoptochos “Friends of the Poor” Chapter are vital and noble – to aid the needy and the poor, to promote the charitable, benevolent and philanthropic purposes of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and much more. Our work will provide you with many gratifying opportunities to serve your parish and community.
Please join us as we continue to put our faith into action through our ministry. We welcome your participation in Philoptochos, no matter how much time you can commit. We look forward to seeing on October 15th – please bring a friend.
Philoptochos Membership for 2017
As we gear up for another fall season of serving those in need, we would like to remind you to renew your Philoptochos membership for 2017. Your support truly makes the work of Philoptochos possible! Also, we are always looking for new members, so if you are thinking of joining our dynamic chapter, now is a great time to do so! Contact Soula De La Riva, 760-521-0471 or soula.delariva@cox.net for more information. Thank you!
Women of the Word (W.O.W.) Bible Study
Women of the Word will have a sign up table in the hall after the Divine Liturgy this Sunday, August 13th. Come find out more about our ministry, meet some of our members, and see what we are reading together this coming year.
SAVE THE DATE! - Choir
Please join St. Spyridon Choir for Faith and Fellowship at the Ballpark. Padres vs. The Dodgers Friday, September 1st at 7:10 pm. For tickets, please see Greg Kostas or Kathy Meck; or contact them at gnkostas@gmail.com or sprnodiva@aol.com. They will be selling tickets on Sundays in the hall after the Divine Liturgy.
SAVE THE DATE! - GOYA
Join us on Saturday, September 16th at La Jolla Shores Beach at 4:00 pm for a Beach party as we kick off the New Ecclesiastical year. GOYA will provide the pizzas for everyone. We are asking families to bring something (please see Sign Up-Genius) OR make a donation to Project Mexico (all donations will be collected that night). Your whole family is invited so please tell your parents and siblings. RSVP at marianafrangos@gmail.com questions call Michael Defelippi at 858-442-3266.
SAVE THE DATE! - Hellenic Fairways Golf Classic
Save The Date! Hellenic Fairways Golf Classic. Friday, October 27, 2017 at Willowbrook Golf Course. For more information cotact Rhad Brown: brownrhad@gmail.com or 619-573-2304. Please see the "Inserts and Fliers" section below
Body Basics Parking Spaces
Please be reminded that one of our tenants, Body Basics, has been given permission to use two parking spaces off the alley near Park Blvd. on Sunday mornings. Please be respectful of that agreement and do not park in these two marked spaces on Sunday mornings. Please know that we are working diligently and moving forward to provide more parking for our church members. In the meantime, please pay attention to the signs marking the two spaces for Body Basics and do not block their customers from using those two designated spaces. Thank you.
Your Legacy and Your Church
...to whom much is given; from them much more is required (Luke 12:48). Please remember to include your Saint Spyridon parish in your estate plan and bequest.
Philoptochos and Coffee Hour
We hope you continue to enjoy the long standing tradition of coffee hour over the summer. Philoptochos is thankful for the continued support from all the families and organizations that offer every week. We kindly ask that you consider offering at least once per year, so think of name days, celebrations, memorials, fundraisers, etc. Offering fellowship is easy and can be shared with another family if you like. Please contact Christina Vassos at 619-818-6882 or cmvassos@gmail.com to see which dates are available. There is also a calendar in the hall. Thank you!
Decorated Feast Day Icons
Philoptochos invites you and your family to commemorate a special Feast Day by sponsoring a beautifully decorated icon which will be displayed in the church Narthex for all to venerate. This offering, a floral adornment around the blessed icon, is a perfect way to honor both your family member(s) as well as an important day in the life of the Church. Throughout the liturgical year there are many opportunities to sponsor a decorated icon, so please reserve your dates now.
The following Saints and Feast Days will be celebrated during September and October and have icons available to sponsor:
Thur, Sept. 14: Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Sat, Sept. 16: St. Euphemia the Great Martyr
Sun, Sept. 17: St. Sophia and her 3 Daughters: Faith, Hope and Love
Tues, Sept. 26: Falling Asleep of St. John the Theologian
Wed, Oct. 18: St. Luke the Evangelist
Mon, Oct. 23: St. James the Apostle
Thus, Oct. 26: St. Demetrios the Myrrh-Streamer
The suggested donation for each icon is $75; please contact Stella Weil at 4weils@sbcglobal.net or(858)694-0570 to reserve your icon/date or if you have any questions. Thank you.
Youth & Young Adults Social Media
Program Description: Connect with the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries through social media to stay current with all the most recent news & events. We are all living and working in the mobile age, and the Metropolis Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries is committed to building its presence on the internet. These sites serve as a unified place to connect our youth, young adults, clergy, youth workers, and parents throughout our very geographically diverse Metropolis. It will also be a place for everyone to share their ideas. Please be sure to check out these sites!
Receive Back 0.5% From “Amazon Smile” Foundation
We are pleased to announce, St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church of San Diego now participates in AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon that lets you enjoy the same wide selection of millions of products, low prices, and convenient shopping features as on Amazon.com. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church. That’s right, every eligible purchase you or someone else makes at AmazonSmile 0.5% will be donated back to our parish!!!
Register by visiting AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com) and select “St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church” before you make your first purchase (be sure to select St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church - San Diego, California). Amazon will remember your selection and each time a purchase is made AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% back to our parish.
For more information about AmazonSmile, go to http://smile.amazon.com/about
We hope you’ll consider this easy way to support your beloved parish. Everyone is eligible to participate so tell your friends and relatives and spread the word about this wonderful program. It takes little effort and with our collective participation and God’s continued blessings, our parish can benefit from this program.
A short video will be available on the parish website demonstrating how to select St. Spyridon GOC as your charity in your Amazon user account.
Live Stream Broadcast
If you know someone who may be in the hospital or home bound or for whatever reason just cannot get to church, don’t forget about the Live Stream Broadcast of our Divine Services. You can watch our Live Broadcast by going to our parish website and clicking on the “Live Broadcast” tab on the top tool bar. Remember, our Live Stream Broadcast is for those who absolutely cannot physically make the divine services of the church and is not a substitute for being present. Also, please be aware that conversations, crying babies, etc. can be heard on the broadcast. We have a wonderful cry room facility, which is located off the Narthex behind the candle stand, and is comfortable and provided for your convenience.
The Live Stream divine services of Saint Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church of San Diego, CA may not be recorded, retransmitted or reproduced without the express written consent of the Parish Council of Saint Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church of San Diego, CA. Thank you for your consideration.
Donations toward the digital ministries of the parish are warmly welcomed. If you would like to help support the ministries of Saint Spyridon please contact the church office. Again, thank you.