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2 THE SHEPHERD • JULY 2025 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO Dear Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I am writing this letter the day after we wrapped up another successful Greek Fes- tival. While I do not yet have any of the fi- nancial results—the Festival Steering Com- mittee will share those details at the Festival Appreciation Lunch in mid-July—my sense of success is not based on dollars and cents. Rather, it comes from something deeper. During a volunteer recruitment presentation given by Hitomi Shue from Solea, she shared a powerful story that perfectly captures the heart of our festival. She recalled a conversa- tion from 2006 or 2007 between Kathy Kat- soulas and Father Andrew. Kathy explained that we don’t organize the festival simply for the funds it raises or the visibility it brings. Instead, we do it because it is a challenging endeavor that brings our community to- gether. Her words—paraphrased—resonated deeply with me, and I saw the truth of them throughout the weekend. Working in the kitchen both days, and walk- ing the festival grounds, I witnessed that spirit of unity firsthand. I saw booth chairs coordinating tirelessly, volunteers in yel- low shirts lending a helping hand wherever needed, and generations coming together— our elders working side-by-side with our youth. I saw newer families stepping up to take on greater responsibility, bringing with them fresh ideas and energy to enhance the festival experience. This intergenerational collaboration and shared purpose strength- ened our bonds and reminded us what it tru- ly means to be a community. I also witnessed the enormous amount of time, effort, and love that went into mak- ing this event possible—from planning and purchasing, to cooking and baking, to secur- ing permits and managing both set-up and post-event tear-down. Every call for help was answered, and the result was a festival that many of our guests described as a joyful, memorable experience. On behalf of the Parish Council and the Fes- tival Steering Committee, I extend my heart- felt thanks to each and every member of our community. Your dedication, hard work, and love for this parish made this year’s festival a true success—one defined not only by re- sults, but by the strength and spirit of our community coming together. In Christ’s Love and Service, Anthony Kyriakidis Parish Council President FROM THE PARISH COUNCIL PRESIDENT TAKE JOY “Christ desires to enrich us with joy, most of all this is what He wants to fill us with—joy— because He is the well-spring of joy.” St. Porphyrios of Kavoskalyvia It’s sometimes easy to forget that joy is the direct result of abiding/living in Christ. In a world set on selling us cheap imitations of joy or drawing our attention to the hurt and chaos around us, it’s good to remember that in its truest a spiritual sense, joy far exceeds the notions of happiness, prosperity, or secu- rity, which are fleeting. True joy is one of the fruits of the spirit given to those who trust in Christ’s mercy and love in all things. What a blessing it is when we encounter a person who radiates this genu- ine proof of God’s presence. Let us strive to ask the Lord to help us be such persons in all we say and do! Thank you for making a note that WOWwill resume in September in a new once-a-month format on Saturdays. We will be studying a wonderful new book by Dr. Eve Tibbs, Seeing the Gospel: An Interpretive Guide to Ortho- dox Icons. Watch the newsletter and bulletin for the exact dates and times of our meetings. A representative of our group will be in the hall on Sundays in August for registration or you may send an e-mail to kayharkins@mac. com to let her know of your interest. A blessed summer to all! WOMEN WORD OF THE BOOKSTORE Come take a look! The bookstore has a won- derful selection of books perfect for your child’s summer reading. Is your child learning the alphabet? How about teaching them an Orthodox Christian alphabet? H is For Holy is a wonderful book, beginning with A is for altar, to the middle with H is for holy, P is for prayer to the end Z is for Zacchaeus. The illustrations will in- spire your children by visualizing their faith too. This book is a meaningful addition to any child’s library. Want to add some creativity to your child’s summer. Beautiful Days is a 64 page color- ing book for children aged 5-12. As children color the icon of Christ’s baptism or a scene of kids flying kites, they cultivate their own beauty, seeing the sacred in both liturgical and everyday moments. May this book bless those children who color and create within its pages. Another book to consider is Shepherding Sam. It is book one of the “Sam and Saucer” series. This book includes thoughtful under- tones that can spark conversations with kids about God and feeling like one doesn’t quite fit in. The author uses a lot of humor and an- imals to pull kids into reading. For ages 7-11. Why do Orthodox Christians all over the world dye red eggs for Pascha? The Miracle of the Red Egg is the story of how this tra- dition started- way back in apostolic times, with St. Mary Magdalene and a blessed mir- acle that dazzled the unbelieving Roman em- peror with the reality and power of Christ’s Resurrection. An enjoyable read for both kids and adults. A big thank YOU to Steven Hochberger for his generous donation to the bookstore! All donations go to restocking our wonderful se- lection of books and lovely icons. And to the anonymous donor of icons, we truly appreci- ate you thinking of us. Happy Summer! Stephanie Mourafetis, Mary Mastorakos, Pat Tsopanoglou, Francesca Captain, and Hitomi Shue Thank you to all the faithful who came to the Lunch and Learn Fundraiser for Saint Nicho- las Ranch and Retreat Center on Sunday, May 25th in the Church Hall. You heard a wonder- ful presentation on the past, present, and fu- ture plans of Saint Nicholas Ranch from Ste- fan Metrakos, the new Metropolis Executive Director. With your generous support, we raised over $6,500 for Saint Nicholas Ranch. If you haven’t had a chance to make a contribu- tion yet, please go to this link https://give- butter.com/ranchstspyridon or mail a check made out to Saint Nicholas Ranch and send it to the St. Spyridon Church office attention Bill Navrides. Many Churches in our Metrop- olis are in the process of having fundraisers for Saint Nicholas Ranch and ours on May 25th was the first. God Bless you all and thank you for your donations to this wonderful Me- tropolis Ministry. Bill Navrides S t . N icholas R anch & R etreat C enter