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2 THE SHEPHERD • AUGUST 2023 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO ΝΕΑ ΤΗΣ ΦΙΛΟΠΤΩΧΟΥ PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS It’s been a quiet month with so many of you away. Many of our youth are graduating and moving on to the next phase of their lives. I was at a graduation party recently and one of the guests was the graduate’s elementary school English teacher. She told us about having had all her students read “The Alche- mist” by Paulo Coelho; she strongly encour- aged us all to read it, not once but once every year! I was traveling the next day, so I down- loaded the audiobook and listened. When I got home, I went and bought the book for each of my boys. The Alchemist tells the story of a young shepherd who dreams of buried treasure in Egypt and embarks upon a challenging and enlightening journey to find it. His jour- ney starts and ends in the same abandoned church. In his hunt for the buried treasure, he overcomes trials along the way with the help of disguised teachers. In the end, the boy learns that his treasure was not buried in some far off place, but back at home in the abandoned church where his journey began. It is said that a great storyteller guides us so deep into our hearts that we actually end up seeing ourselves. Doesn’t that perfectly de- scribe the stories of our faith? We read and hear the stories from the disciples — our teachers. The stories we hear each Sunday attempt to open our hearts as we walk in pursuit of finding our true selves. The stories offer us hope, give us faith, but most impor- tantly - encourage us to open our hearts to love one another. In the Alchemist, the author reminds readers that we all have a “Personal Legend,” a calling and we are here to fulfill of our purpose. He says, “No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn’t know it.” I know our Church has a role for each of us and is calling upon us to share it. And I pray that each of us will find the role He has for us and come to know it. Many Blessings, Jim Gilpin, Parish Council President FROM THE PARISH COUNCIL PRESIDENT continues 3 We will update everyone soon on when, or if, we will be resuming our study in September, and whether it will be a hybrid in person and zoom, or just zoom. In the meantime, we will continue to hear and deepen our understanding of the Word of God. Here are some thoughts on Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Christ recognizes our work, our struggles, and endeavors. He knows we have trouble bearing our burdens, and He tells us that He not only has but is the solution. And offers the promise of rest – peace, a respite, and hope. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” WOMEN WORD OF THE We pray you are enjoying God’s blessings during these beautiful San Diego summer months! Our heartfelt thanks to Andreas Capeta- nakis and his team of volunteers who con- tinue to prepare meals during the summer to support our Feeding the Hungry Minis- try through our partnership with FOCUS (Fellowship of Orthodox Christians United to Serve). This month 140 meals were pre- pared along with Blessing Bags filled by our youth and distributed to needy San Diegans. It is heart-warming to see our parishioners of all ages come together in support of this worthwhile and important ministry. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Andreas Capetanakis at 619.948.0902. It’s never too late to join our Anthousa Philop- tochos Chapter! We welcome all ladies and gentlemen to help us make a difference in the lives of many. If you cannot actively par- ticipate, your membership pledge helps us to continue to support many charitable endeav- ors within our parish, as well as local, nation- al, and international communities. To join, please visit www.Anthousa.org and click the Membership tab at the top. (The National and Metropolis Philoptochos treasuries each receive $15 of every membership donation; any amount over $30 remains in our local chapter’s treasury.) Please contact Melanie Anastopulos at melanieanastopulos@gmail. com or Kalliopi Samouris at nyckelly@cox. net with any questions. SUNDAY FELLOWSHIP: During the sum- mer months, we continue to need your help in providing refreshments for sharing during the Sunday Fellowship Hour. Please consider sponsoring with your friends and family to provide simple offerings of cookies or do- nuts, fruit, and juice. To sign up, please con- tact Christina Frangos christinafrangos1@ gmail.com AGAPE MEALS: Philoptochos provides meals to St. Spyridon community members in need following hospitalizations, death of a family member, the birth of a child, etc. Please reach out to Marian Dougenis at (619) 520- 3660 if you or someone you know is in need. COLLEGE CONNECTION: Do you have a college-bound student in your family? Our chapter keeps your child connected with their faith and home church. Please send contact information to Bill Navrides at Bill.Navrides@sharp.com We pray you enjoy a safe and healthy summer. Sofia Samouris, Anthousa Chapter President