TSN0725

1 THE SHEPHERD • JULY 2025 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO www.theshepherdnews.com The Shepherd Newsletter The official newsletter publication for the parish of Saint Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church of San Diego I S S U E 3 5 0 • J U LY 2 0 2 5 IN THIS ISSUE FROM THE DESK OF FR. ANDREW ...... p. 1 PRESIDENT OF THE PARISH COUNCIL, WOMEN OF THE WORD, BOOKSTORE, ST. NICHOLAS RANCH ............................. p. 2 NEWS FROM THE LOFT, DIVINE SERVICES, BIRTHS, DEATHS, HOLY SACRAMENTS, MEMORIALS............................................... p. 3 YOUTH MINISTRIES ................................. p. 4 GREEK LANGUAGE SCHOOL ................ p. 5 PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS, AHEPA ........... p. 6 2025 FESTIVAL PHOTOS ....................... p. 7 HC/HC COMMENCEMENT ..................... p. 8 STEWARDSHIP CORNER ........................ p. 8 PARISH CALENDAR ................................. p. 10 YOUNG AT HEART SENIORS ................. p. 11 CONTACT INFORMATION....................... p. 12 FROM THE DESK OF FATHER ANDREW My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, By now, many of you have made your plans for the summer months. Presbytera Diane and I have likewise made some plans for the summer as well. Many times, our plans for the summer months take us away from San Diego, our homes and our beloved parish. However, I encourage you to please keep in mind that the celebration of the Divine Liturgy (and other divine services of the Church) still takes place throughout the summer months, as does your calling to par- ticipate in it. I encourage you to stay focused on Sunday as the Lord’s Day and the importance of the celebration of the Divine Liturgy in your life. From the Gospel of Luke 24:36-53, which is the sixth morning Gospel read during the Orthros service, we are reminded that after our Lord’s Ascension, the disciples …returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continu- ally in the temple, praising and blessing God. Continually means there are no breaks! We, as the Orthodox Christians before us, now carry on that Biblical reality of our faith Tra- dition. Thus, should not our spiritual commu- nal worship of the Most High God be at the forefront of who and what we are as Orthodox Christians, regardless of the time of year? Communal worship is indeed something we continually need to do and experience be- cause we have been called by Sacred Scripture and is attested to by our two thousand-year- old tradition. As we grow and mature in our Orthodox Christian Faith and come to better understand God, and our relationship toward Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, we begin to better understand that God does not take the summer off and does wait for our com- munal worship. One stride toward spiritual growth is to resist the temptation to take the summer off. Thus, it is with joy that I look forward to your contin- ual presence throughout the summer months. Our beautiful choir and devoted chanters will be present throughout the summer months. Our committed altar servers will be present throughout the summer months. Our dedi- cated Parish Council and Philoptochos mem- bers will be present throughout the summer months. I hope and pray you too, will contin- ue to be present as well. May our Great God continue to bless you and your family throughout the summer months and always, +A 2025 Festival Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon! COME CELEBRATE ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL FEST I VAL ! This year’s Festival was a great success thanks to YOU, our wonderful volunteers!!! Our Saint Spyridon community came together once again and showed San Diego that we truly are the finest Festival in San Diego County! Please join us after the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, July 13 , for a celebratory luncheon. We worked hard and played hard, and the results once again showed that together, we accomplish great things. The lunch is complimentary, but please call the church office 619-297-4165 to reserve your seat. See you there! BUSINESS ADS AND PERSONAL GREETINGS & ANNOUNCEMENTS AVAILABLE AT LOW RATES FREE DESIGN FOR YOUR AD! FOR DETAILS, EMAIL INFO@THESHEPHERDNEWS.COM THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! ADVERTISE IN NEWSLETTER!