|
|
_ 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
__________________
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.
Back to Top
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Back to Top
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.
Back to Top
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.
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.
Back to Top
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.
Back to Top
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.
Back to Top
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.
Back to Top
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/
Back to Top
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..
Back to Top
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.
Back to Top
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
Back to Top
|
