St. Sophia Greek  Orthodox Church

440 Whitehall Road
Albany, NY 12208
Tel: (518)489-4442
 

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St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church

440 Whitehall Road
Albany, New York 12208-1520
Tel. (518) 489-4442 Fax: (518) 489-6059
Rev. Father Patric Legato, Pastor
e-mail: Rev. Fr. Patric Legato
e-mail: St. Sophia Church

LITURGICAL HOURS
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CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICES:
Sunday- Orthros 8:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy 9:30 a.m.
Weekdays- Divine Liturgy 9:30 a.m.

OFFICE HOURS:
Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.Phone: (518)-489-4442

 

LADIES PHILOPTOCHOS SOCIETY

Do you wish to share the love you have with your fellow mankind? Do you wish to grace the lives of others by assisting them in their time of need? The Ladies PHILOPTOCHOS Society of Saint Sophia will give you the opportunity to do so. All that is necessary is the desire to share your commitment, love, and experience with people of the same backgrounds.

Through social functions, geared to raise funding, such as fashion shows, bake sales, garage sales, and dances, the women of the PHILOPTOCHOS Society develop a camaraderie that is unique within any structure. Long lasting, and even lifetime, friendships are made. If you wish to help formulate plans and methods to voluntarily aid and relieve the poor, the destitute, the aged, visit the sick in hospitals or visit the shut-ins, and all those who may need the help of the Church, please attend a PHILOPTOCHOS Society meeting held on the second Tuesday of every month at 7:00 PM, with our first meeting which will be held on Tuesday, September 9th with an Agiasmos at 6:00 PM in the Church and a Pot-Luck Dinner in the Center starting at 6:30 PM.

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CHURCH SCHOOL

Church School begins regularly at 9:30 AM, starting Sunday, September 14th. All participating members are asked to be in Church to hear the gospel reading prior to classroom instruction.

Currently, we have over 100 members participating in our Church School who are taught ably by several parishioners who volunteer their time and energy to help instill our children with a basic knowledge of our Orthodox faith. Under the supervision of Mary Pat and John Chris Googas, as directors, formal instruction begins with the nursery school aged children and continues up and through high school. Our teachers are dedicated in bringing a true, educational, religious experience to our children. Included and part of the educational process is the participation of designated classes to attend the entire Divine Liturgy. Parents are encouraged, on these "Family Worship Sundays" to sit with their children’s class to help our children participate fully in the Divine Liturgy as one family.

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ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

The third Tuesday of each month is dedicated to our spiritual growth in the form of Bible study and catechism. Come and experience the various tenets of our faith, her dogma, teachings and traditions as we walk in the steps of Jesus Christ as seen through Luke. Our guide is Father Pat. Classes begin, Tuesday, September 16, 2008, and continue through June 2009.

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GREEK SCHOOL

The progress of our Afternoon Greek School continues to progress and educate as evidence by the large enrollment. In maintaining our Greek language and cultural heritage, we are all responsible as parents and as a community to accomplish this. In our commitment to continuously upgrade our Greek School, we are pleased to announce the continuation of Eleni Christou as Greek School Teacher for our Advanced and Regents Level class, as well as, Kiki Maglaras for the other classes beginning from our successful Pre-school program to all other beginning levels. We also introduce this year to our program Eleni Efstathiadis who will be teaching one intermediate class. Eleni is a native Greek speaker and a New York State Certified Math teacher with the Troy City School District. The goal of this program is for our students to be able to read, write and communicate in Greek, have a better understanding of their Greek heritage and ultimately for graduates to take the New York State Regents Exam and receive credit points as part of their high school transcripts. Various classes are held generally every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 4:15 PM - 8:00 PM, beginning on Tuesday, September 9th, and will run through the first week of June 2009. Also, the Pre-school - 3rd grade instruction will resume on Saturdays starting at 10:00 AM in back-to-back classes. For more information please contact the Church office.

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ADULT GREEK LANGUAGE

Under the direction of Kiki Maglaras, St. Sophia is again proud to offer Greek language lessons for both parishioners and visitors alike. Classes for three levels are held on Thursday evenings beginning at 5:30 PM. A registration fee is required plus the cost of all materials. Classes are scheduled to begin on September 18th. and will run through May 21st, 2009. Call the Church office for further details.

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ACOLYTES

This is a special religious program in which our young men aged 8-88 have the opportunity to serve the church. Under the supervision of James Diamantopoulos, serving as advisor, and Athanasios Athanasiadis, head altar boy, our altar servers have a unique vantage point during the Divine Liturgy and other related Services of the Church, and have a unique responsibility in serving the Church.

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YOUTH PROGRAMS

The future of any institution can only be insured by the education and success, care and nurturing of the succeeding generation – the youth. Keeping this in mind, we have developed several segments of our Youth Programs with the hope and understanding that our future generations will maintain the traditions and teachings of our Church while developing relationships which will last a lifetime. Under one umbrella are:

( JOY ( ( GOYA ( aAltar Boys a ( Athletic Program (

Father Pat serves as the Director of all these programs, but is capably assisted by both adult and young adult advisors whose only concern is to serve Saint Sophia and guide, teach, oversee, and protect our children.

VOLUNTEERS – As with any group, volunteers are always needed to ensure and promote a vibrant program. If you are interested in serving any of our Youth Programs either as an advisor, or coach, or if you have an idea for a program, please feel free to contact Father Pat during the year. Volunteers are always appreciated and welcome.

 

JoY is a religious, educational, social, and recreational program designed for all our children aged 7-12 years old. Stephanie Kontakos, Barbara Rustin, Maria Sokaris, and Maria Ziamandanis are our trusted and hard working advisors who help to plan and implement events throughout the year. We generally meet one Friday each month, and on special occasions during the weekend. Our goal is to promote sound relationships among this age group, and develop a positive parent/child relationship through this group. Parents are not simply encouraged to attend, but are expected to participate. Each meeting begins with a small religious discussion prior to any activity. This year we are planning a special presentation on the challenges, and the pitfalls of the internet for concerned parents. Also on the agenda, and back by popular demand will be the Sports Spectacular, hosted by the GOYA and the overnight religious retreat. We are also scheduling a special Community Service Project for our older JOYers. Programming begins Friday, September 19th on getting know Jesus and our traditional Ice Cream Social.

 

GOYA is a youth group specifically geared for our teenagers 13-18 who have not graduated from high school. Mary Googas, Theodosia Legato, and Effie Maglaras serve as our advisors of this prolific group who have the opportunity to learn about the promulgation of the Church through service. Last year we began an informative program designed to address alcohol abuse by teenagers and the responsibility of the parent. This year we look forward to the expansion of this and many other current event situations which confront our teenagers. Also planned are: Senior Holiday Dinner, and GOYA sponsored breakfasts to raise money for various events. Our first meeting will take place on Sunday, September 7th, after church services in the Pappas Cultural Room. Elections will be held Sunday, September 14, immediately after services.

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CHOIR

Under the direction of Choirmaster Harry Ermides, the Senior Choir of St. Sophia takes pride in providing inspirational liturgical hymns which are sung during the year in Church. Additionally, the Choir has taken on varied programs such as the Christmas Pageant Program and the Holy Week Program, as well as a concert entitled "A Journey to Pascha" prior to Holy Week.

In February 2007, the Choir debuted "in concert" along with the acclaimed Albany Symphony Orchestra at The Canfield Casino in Saratoga, the Troy Music Hall, Troy, NY, and The Berkshire Theater in Pittsfield, MA. The World Premier of Greek Composer Kostis Kritsotakis, "The Voyage of Odysseus" was performed masterfully by our Choir giving the St. Sophia Community and members of this choir a lot to be proud of. This was the main event of the concert series titled "Mythology" and was attended by over 1200 patrons in the communities mentioned, in spite of severe snowstorms during the first two concert nights.

The St. Sophia Choir recorded its first CD Easter 2008. The CD "Hymns from the Divine Liturgy and Holy Pascha," recorded March 29, 2008 contains a collage of hymns from the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom as well as many of the beautiful hymns from Holy Week and the Lenten period. The CD is available from the St. Sophia bookstore.

Beyond all this, however, is the camaraderie and fellowship which the choir shares as friends and family members having the opportunity and the privilege to sing praises to our Lord Jesus Christ. The Choir will begin singing at the September 14th services. Rehearsals are usually held each Thursday at 7:00 PM, beginning September 11th. Join us during open enrollment during the months of September or January if you can sing.

This year we will continue to organize the St. Sophia Youth Choir. This group will consist of youths from 4th grade through high school. This will be the training ground for our future choir membership and will take an active role in church life as it develops. The Spiro Takes Awards Program was established as an incentive for our youth to participate in the youth choir. It provides a financial reward upon graduation from high school based on the number of years each student participates in our choir program. The youth choir rehearses every Thursday evening from 6:00 to 6:45 pm and members sing every Sunday before Sunday school. Youth Choir rehearsals will begin in early October.

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THE TESTAMENT

We take great pride in THE TESTAMENT which is the monthly newsletter of our Church. This magazine presents the news of our Church along with other social, cultural, and religious interests. It also has articles written by our parishioners, as well as a monthly column by our priest, parish council president, Philoptochos president and a monthly calendar guide to the events of the month. The TESTAMENT is edited by Helen Sokaris. Any and all articles are welcome. However, all articles must be submitted to the TESTAMENT no later than the 10th of the preceding month and may be dropped off at the Church Office or you may e-mail Helen at sokarishm@msn.com. Anyone interested in joining The TESTAMENT staff is asked to contact Father Pat or Helen.

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ATHLETIC PROGRAM

This program has proven to be a huge success the past few years. Soccer, youth basketball, and, this year, volleyball are all on the agenda. The head advisors are George Kontakos, George Koutsakis, Theodosia Legato, Effie Maglaras, Harry Moisidis and George Pappis, who have donated many precious hours spending Sundays after church and week nights on instruction and play. We are looking for even more volunteers to come forward in order to teach the basics, and coach our children in a variety of sports. The culmination and reward of this effort is the Archdiocesan Olympic program, co-chaired by Karen Pappis held each Memorial Day Weekend. Sports, however are not the only reason to participate in this program. All aspects of sport and participation are explored. One of the most overlooked aspect of this endeavor is the fund raising aspect, and there are several events to participate in including Souvlaki Fest 2009. There will also be an Awards Breakfast hosted by our Olympic athletes in September 21, as well as the annual Palm Sunday Luncheon.

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SENIOR CITIZEN MATINEE VIDEOS
AND EXERCISE PROGRAMS

Every Thursday afternoon at 12:30 PM an enthusiastic group, known as the Young at Heart Club, hosted by Jim Stolis, meet in the AHEPA room to share fellowship. They enjoy a movie and a cup of coffee, and a variety of delicious home-made appetizers, sandwiches or pastries. Once a month, a full–course luncheon, prepared by Chef James, is served. At times during the year an organized field trip is planned to places of interest. We have visited Astoria to shop for the holidays, seen the Radio City Christmas Show and the exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum in NYC, and journeyed to Chatham, NY, to take in the summer plays at the Mac-Hayden Theater. Other activities are presently in the planning. Previous activities of the group have been working with the local chapter of "Habitat for Humanity," when it needed help with their fund raising activities, they offered their talents. Another project involved helping to develop a list of parishioners who have served their country in the Armed Forces since WWI. Their untiring efforts resulted in an honor roll of names published, framed and displayed in our vestibule for all to read. The group has also hosted health fairs, informational meeting on Medicare Part D, and healthy cooking. Please stop by and join the group - THERE ARE NO DUES!

Additionally, some of the group meets on Tuesdays for board games or card playing. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday for approximately one hour (11:15 AM to noon), an exercise program especially developed for senior citizens is offered to help tone and strengthen their muscles and bones. This free program is sponsored by the City of Albany.

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GREEK FOLK DANCERS

Under the capable direction of Tina Yavis and her many assistants (Mary Googas, Maria Googas, Tina Marathakis, Marie McCullough, Maria Ziamandanis, Stephanie Kontakos, Diane Cohen, and Barbara Rustin) our dancers have been performing for 32 years and have enjoyed traveling to many senior citizen centers, schools, colleges, international shows, etc. etc. Children, who are eligible to join when they in the 2nd Grade or older, have become very involved in learning the dances from all parts of Greece. The elaborate costumes are a credit to them and to the community as they add to the sophistication of their performances. Registration is on the 2nd and 3rd Sundays of September after Church services, and classes will begin shortly thereafter. There is a registration fee. Please note that family membership to St. Sophia is mandatory.

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St. Sophia Website - Stsophia.net

Our website, managed by our most capable Administrator, Peter Mafilios, is updated on a weekly basis which includes St. Sophia’s history and information, Church information including Church photos explaining their significance and architecture, monthly calendar, links to affiliated websties, Testament articles, the current Sunday Bulletin, voluminous pictures, scripture verses, various articles, upcoming news and events, etc. etc. etc.. Please visit St. Sophia’s website at: http://stsophia.net/

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ARCHIVES & LIBRARY

St. Sophia is very fortunate to have the expert services of Dr. Christopher Kendris as curator and director of this jewel among jewels which is quite extensive and valuable. The Archives include a collection of photographs extending back to 1922 and are catalogued and indexed both by event and names of individuals in the photographs. You will be amazed to see among the collections of archives so many historical documents and extensive pictorial history of our St. Sophia Church community since the days it was founded in 1922 to the present day. It is a labor of love and a tribute to the founders of our Church community – our fathers, mothers, and our grandparents who came to this great country when they were teenage immigrants and brought our heritage, culture, and humanity with them.

The book section, which is also catalogued and indexed, includes a collection of Greek heritage and contributions by Greek authors, religious documents, and reference materials. There is always an interesting and informative exhibit on a variety of topics in the glass display case in the main hallway next to the cloak room opposite the front office. Stop to look at the exhibits! Please take the opportunity to visit the Archives & Library Center during the Fellowship Hour on Sundays after the Divine Liturgy. Christopher would love to help you get acquainted with the archival collections. His late, beloved wife Ariadne-Yolanda also contributed her services..

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PARISH COUNCIL

This Parish Council is committed to improving and enhancing the programs at St. Sophia whether it be cultural, educational, or just social activities. On June 7th we had the Shed building by our parishioners – what a great day we all had [so successful, we might consider building our chapel]. The Youth Choir which was returned four years ago is growing as well as the Athletic Program which has been charged to make better use of the Gymnasium for our parishioners. We do listen to our parishioners with regard to what social events they might be interested in. Therefore, we are bringing back the Thanksgiving weekend dance. We will be holding by popular demand from the community-at-large the 3rd Annual Souvlaki Fest on October 3rd and 4th. On September 28th we will be honoring those volunteers who unselfishly have given their time during the year to St. Sophia. On November 23rd we will have our annual Commitment Sunday. We continue to provide the St. Sophia Scholarship awarding $15,000 annually. Our goal is to work closely with organizations such as the Philoptochos in order to make visitors and guests to feel that St. Sophia is their home away from home.

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MISCELLANEOUS PROGRAMS AND/OR SERVICES

CULTURAL & EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

ST. SOPHIA BOOKSTORE

TODDLERS PLAY GROUP

MEN’S BASKETBALL

GRECIAN FESTIVAL

PENTECOST PANAGYRI

JAZZERCISE

LIBRARY & ARCHIVES ROOM

AHEPA
DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE
SONS OF PERICLES
MAIDS OF ATHENA
 

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