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2 THE SHEPHERD • APRIL 2025 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO Dear Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Greetings in the name of our Lord and Sav- ior, Jesus Christ! As members of the Parish Council, we are entrusted with upholding the rules and reg- ulations set forth by the Archdiocese, known as the Uniform Parish Regulations (UPR), along with our Parish By-Laws. These serve as a guide for the gover- nance and operation of our beloved St. Spyridon Par- ish. Recently, while reading through the Parish By- Laws, I came across the opening article that estab- lished our parish. It states: "The Greek residents of San Diego, California, having convened in a pub- lic meeting on the 14th day of November, 1926, resolved to establish a Greek Ortho- dox Church of San Diego, effective March 4, 1927, in accordance with the laws of the State of California." As we approach the centennial of our parish, it’s time to start planning for this significant milestone in the life of our community. Looking back at previous milestones, I fond- ly recall the 50th anniversary celebration, where, as a teenager, I attended the Divine Liturgy at the Starlight Bowl in Balboa Park. Archbishop Iakovos, of blessed memory, and Bishop Meletios, of blessed memory, were in attendance, and the celebration was marked by the unique sight of passenger jets mak- ing their final approach to Lindbergh Field during the service. The 75th anniversary was another memo- rable occasion, with a series of events, in- cluding A Taste of Greece, a cultural event at the Point Loma Nazarene College Greek Amphitheater, culminating in a visit from His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony, of blessed memory, and many of our former Parish Priests, to celebrate the Di- vine Liturgy. As we approach our 100th anniversary, it is our duty and privilege to begin the planning and preparation for this momen- tous occasion. I invite any interested parish- ioners to step forward and form a committee that will help us express our gratitude to the founding families of our community, who brought their faith in Jesus Christ to a new and distant land. We will be holding a kick-off meeting after Pascha, in May, and I encourage you all to join us in whatever way you can to make this centennial celebration a truly special and meaningful commemoration of our parish’s history. In Christ’s Love and Service, Anthony Kyriakidis Parish Council President FROM THE PARISH COUNCIL PRESIDENT THE POWER OF PRAYER The secret is to present our prayer and devo- tion to God so that His grace may act. We, with our love, with our fervent desire for the love of God, will attract grace so that it washes over those around us and awakens them to di- vine love. Or rather, God will send His love to rouse them all. What we are unable to do, His grace will achieve. With our prayer we make all worthy of God’s grace. – St. Porphyrios During the first weeks of Great and Holy Lent in our discussion of the daily Scrip- tures, as well as the lives and wisdom of the saints, we have found ourselves more keenly aware of the role of prayer in our study, our personal lives, the life of our community, and the world at large. Often, we hear the words, “Well, there’s nothing left to do but pray,” as if prayer were a last resort. Our Church teaches us to pray first, not as a perfunctory task to get out of the way, but the foundation of all endeavors, whether they be liturgical or practical. It is good that we have a habit of almost automatically praying—at meals, before meetings, or before starting our car. But we need to often pause to re- member that giving thanks to God, asking for His guidance and protection should not become a mindless checking of a block, but to be mindfully aware that we are constant- ly in the presence of a great and loving God, whose power and love must never be taken for granted. As we move toward the great feast of Pascha, we are trying to learn to approach our prayer more mindfully in its role to bring us all to salvation. PLEASE NOTE: Our weekly session will continue until Great and Holy Week. We are praying for guidance for the way our minis- try will resume in the fall. As we approach our 100th anniversary, it is our duty and privilege to begin the planning and preparation for this momentous occasion. WOMEN WORD OF THE BOOKSTORE Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice! Christ is risen, and life reigns! Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in a tomb! – From the Pas- chal homily of St. John Chrysostom As we journey through Holy and Great Lent, we pray for your growth in Christ during this blessed season. This period has been a time for gratitude and renewal for our church family. We have begun our journey to the Resurrection. As we approach the middle of Great Lent, and still in need of Lenten resources, come visit our display table in the bookstore. Our display table contains a variety of devotional books. Some favorites include: Pilgrimage to Pascha - A Daily De- votional for Great Lent, The Road Back to Christ: Reflections on Lent, Holy week, and the Resurrection, The Lenten Spring, Medi- tations for Great Lent, Holy Week, & Pascha, and Great Lent - Journey to Pascha. Our tra- ditional Greek Orthodox Holy Week Service book by Fr. George Papadeas is also stocked. Do you need gifts for your Pascha baskets? Looking for Pascha children’s gift books, consider The Miracle of the Red Egg, The Resurrection, When God Made You, H is for Holy, Beautiful Pascha Coloring Book, My Book of Great Lent &My Book of Holy Week (text in both English and Greek). In need of other Pascha gifts, we have a wonderful se- lection of wooden items, hand crafted by A Carpenter’s Son , such as Resurrection icons, diptych icons, tapestry pouches, Pascha cards, magnets and more. Come visit! Our entire staff joins in wishing our pa- rishioners and friends, Καλή Ανάσταση και Καλό Πάσχα! Stephanie Mourafetis, Mary Mastorakos, Pat Tsopanoglou, and Francesca Captain through it all. As we await all the profound events of Great and Holy Week to unfold let us have the courage to walk side by side with Christ as He approaches the Cross. Instead of being persuaded to become one of those in the crowd who doubts Christ and therefore in the end may deny Him, let us dare to be- come something different, something righ- teous. Having entered into Jerusalem on our way to experience Great and Holy Week, and having proclaimed Jesus as the God of peace and love, I wish you all a Καλή Ανάσταση - a Joyous Resurrection. May you all experience a renewal of life. A true renewal that only Christ can offer. Amen. +A. 1 FR. ANDREW