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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, boutiques, 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, the sick, 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.
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CHURCH SCHOOL
Church School begins regularly at
9:30 AM, starting Sunday, September 23rd 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.
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 18, 2007, and continue through June 2008.
GREEK
SCHOOL
The progress of the
Afternoon Greek School has grown leaps and bounds these last few years as evidenced by
the large enrollment. In maintaining our cultural heritage, we are called to
"rear up the young." 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, as well as our
pre-school Greek teacher, Stephanie Dimopoulos and Kiki Maglaras for
all other beginning to intermediated levels. The goal
of this program is for our students to be able to read, write and
communicate in Greek and ultimately for graduates to take the New York State
Regents Exam and receive credit points as part of their transcripts. Various
classes
are held generally every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 4:00 PM - 8:00
PM, beginning in September 11th, and will run through the
first week of June 2008. Also, the Kindergarten - 2nd grade instruction will
resume on Saturdays at 10:00 am. For more information please contact the Church
office.
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. Classess 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 20th and will run
through May 22nd, 2008. Call
the Church office for further details.
ACOLYTES
Any male aged 8
years old and older who is willing to commit the time is able to share in
the unique opportunity of serving as Acolytes before the Holy Altar of God.
Our dedicated men have the special opportunity to experience the richness
and beauty of the Divine Liturgy from a special vantage point, attending the
Divine Liturgy from 9:30 AM to its conclusion, as well as having the
opportunity to serve the Lord in the altar at various Services held
throughout the year. We are pleased to have Mr. James Diamantopoulos as our
Altar Co-ordinator ably assisted by our head altar boys Michael Lois and
Athanasios Athanassiadis. Please feel free to contact any of our Co-ordinators
at coffee hour throughout the year and volunteer for a life rewarding
service to the church.
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YOUTH
PROGRAMS
JOY is a religious,
educational, social, and recreational program designed for our youth who
range in age from 7 to 12 years old. Under the direction of advisors
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 21st with a presentation on peer pressure and our 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. Among the scheduled events are programs designed to
address alcohol abuse by teenagers and the responsibility of the
parent; Fall Harvest Dance; Senior Holiday Dinner. Our first
meeting will take place on Sunday, September 9th, after church services
in the Pappas Cultural Room.
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CHOIR
Under the direction
of Choirmaster Harry Ermides, the Senior Choir of St. Sophia takes pride in
providing inspirational liturgical music which is sung during the year in
Church. Additionally, the Choir has taken on varied programs such as the
Christmas 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.
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 16th
services. Rehearsals are usually held each Thursday at
7:00 PM, beginning September 6th. 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 6:45pm and
members sing every Sunday before Sunday school.
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
The athletics program
at St. Sophia has proven to be a huge success. Programs were created for
both children and adults such as soccer and basketball, and preparing our
youth to compete competitively at the Junior Olympics sponsored by the
Archdiocesan District Games held on Memorial Weekend. The Athletic Committee
is planning another year of fun, learning and sportsmanship for the entire
community. Registration for each program will take place throughout the year
during the fellowship hour on Sundays. Please look for upcoming and detailed
information for each program in the Sunday Bulletins and future
Testaments.
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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 or pastries. Once a month, a full–course
luncheon is held, along with organized field trips 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. When the local chapter of "Habitat
for Humanity," needed help with their fund raising activities, they offered
their talents. The bakers in the group have been getting together before
their movie to make Prosforo for offering at church services. Their latest
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.
Additionally, 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. These one-hour classes are held
on Wednesdays and Fridays at 10:30 AM.
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GREEK FOLK DANCERS
Under the capable
direction of Tina Yavis and her many assistants, our dancers have been
performing for 25 years and have enjoyed traveling to many senior citizen
centers, schools, colleges, international shows, etc. etc. Children who are
eligible to join when they are 8 years old or older 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 of $10. Please note that family membership to St. Sophia is
mandatory.
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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 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.
The Youth Choir which started two years ago is growing as well as the
Athletic Program which has been charged to make better use of the
Gymnasium for our parishioners. Of course, we will have our Annual
Church Dance in November and the annual New Year’s Eve Party. On
November 18th we will have our annual Commitment Sunday which
will now include honoring those volunteers who unselfishly have given
their time during the year to St. Sophia. 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 these students 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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