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2 THE SHEPHERD • FEBRUARY 2026 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO I am reminded of a saying from my youth “back in the saddle again!” As you may know, Anthony has a lot on his plate this year and I agreed to step back into this role. I want to thank Anthony for ev- erything he did this last year. As detailed in Anthony’s newsletter from last month, the Parish Council accomplished many things under his leadership. It shows what a village can do when it comes together. We are so blessed to have a parish filled with so many talented people willing to share. There is much on the horizon for the com- ing year. We are on the doorstep of the 100- year anniversary of our beloved St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church. As we reminisce about the past, we are reminded of all the sacrifices made by those who came before us. Their vision put us where we are today and I hope their sacrifices will inspire us to look forward to the future needs of our parish. It is easy to see a need when it arises but it is re- ally something to see the need before it hap- pens, to anticipate it, to plan for it, and have things in place when it actually happens. Last week, Deacon Michael talked to us about the ten lepers. He reminded us that the miracle happens on the road as we walk our faith. He reminded us not to miss the author standing in our midst and to open our hearts to His words. In this period of the Triodion which some call a spiritual boot camp, I hope we will all experience a profound spiritual journey as we prepare for Christ’s Resurrec- tion. In this time, let us not forget that our faith without works is dead. (James 2:17) Many blessings, Jim Gilpin Parish Council President FROM THE PARISH COUNCIL PRESIDENT THE BLESSING OF TRADITION The WOW new year started with a joyful blessing—we found the coin in our piece of Vasilopita! The coin reminded us that God’s treasures are often hidden, yet never meant to be hoarded, and we love that the precious traditions of our faith are there to help us grow closer to Christ and one another. We pray to follow Saint Basil’s example of giv- ing with humility and without fanfare in the coming year. We met for our January study the Saturday after the feast of Theophany and the day be- fore our annual Epiphany Cross Dive and Luncheon. (Congratulations again to the Capetanakis family!) The chapters for the month covered the icons of this feast and our upcoming major feast, The Meeting of the Lord in the Temple, in February. We admit to sharing a lot of fun and laughter in our “corporate quiz” small group discussion for- mat that we often like to use to unearth so many amazing details that bring the icons alive and connected to our worship and prayers as the new year began. Our next meeting will be on February 14, immediately following the Saturday of Souls Divine Liturgy. As we are beginning a little later than usual, everyone is invited to bring her own bag lunch. Coffee, hot chocolate, tea, and light nibbles will be provided. It’s not too late to join us as we have three more meetings remaining before we complete the chapters of our book. Please contact Kay Harkins at kayharkins@mac.com if you would like to participate! WOMEN WORD OF THE BOOKSTORE We hope everyone’s New Year is off to a wonderful start! Come check out some of our new children’s books. We are stocking the new book series Yiayia’s Kitchen which is a series of 3 books: Honesty, Patience, and Family Traditions. Sharing traditions and virtues with kids is a great way to show love and create lasting memories. In these books, Koukla loves to spend time in the kitchen with her grandmother (yiayia). Yiayia teach- es her to prepare traditional foods, as well as continue their family’s Greek traditions. The books are beautifully illustrated, and they teach kids valuable lessons, but most of all, about the unconditional love between a grandparent and grandchild, and the impor- tance of family bonds. The books are perfect for kids ages: 3-10, and make great gifts for kids and yiayiades alike. The author, Brianna Koucos Midgley grew up in Salt Lake City as a priest’s kid, in a family who loved their Greek heritage and Orthodox faith. Take a peek at this wonderful new series! We continue to emphasize The Friends of Christ, a twelve-volume series published by New Rome Press. This series is great for chil- dren, young adults, and adults. You will be in awe of what you learn from these saints. The February volume contains the lives of St. Nikiphoros, St. Haralambros the Hieromar- tyr, St. Theodora the Empress, the Venerable ascetic Philothei, and the Great Martyr Pho- tini, the Samaritan woman. Don’t forget to pick up a copy of Daily Lives, Miracles, and Wisdom of the Saints and Fasting Calendar 2026. It is a must-have for every Orthodox Christian home! We would also like to thank Irene Huntalas for her generous donation to the bookstore in Memory of James Mellos. Again, a heart- felt thank you to all our donors for their Me- morial donations! Many blessings to you all as Great Lent be- gins February 23rd. Stephanie Mourafetis, Mary Mastorakos, Pat Tsopanoglou, Francesca Captain, Hitomi Shue, and Kaylin Marino