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2 THE SHEPHERD • NOVEMBER 2025 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO Dear Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As we enter this season of Thanksgiving, my heart is filled with deep gratitude for the many blessings God has poured upon our parish family. Over the past several months, we have witnessed a steady and joyful in- crease in attendance at our Divine Liturgies. The nave echoes louder with the voices of our faithful — both familiar and new— as we lift our hearts together in worship. Our Sunday School classrooms are brimming with ener- gy and laughter, as more children are learn- ing the beauty of our faith and growing in the love of Christ. Truly, this is a season of spiritual renewal for St. Spyridon. Across the nation, reports show that Bible sales are rising — a clear sign that hearts are searching for truth, hope, and the light of God’s Word. This renewed interest in Scrip- ture is a blessing not only for our Church but for our entire society. It reminds us that even in times of uncertainty, the Word of God re- mains living and active, calling us to deeper faith and steadfast love. With this renewal comes a sacred responsi- bility. As we welcome new faces into our par- ish, let us do so with open arms and warm hearts. Many who come to St. Spyridon are seeking a spiritual home — a place to belong, to heal, and to grow. Let us each strive to make them feel that they have found such a home here among us. A simple smile, a word of welcome, or an offer to share a pew can make a lasting difference in someone’s life. On a practical note, I kindly ask everyone to be mindful of our limited parking. Please park courteously and with patience, re- membering that hospitality extends even to how we use our parking spaces. And when the church fills, I encourage our longtime parishioners to graciously offer their usual seats to new visitors and families. In doing so, we embody the spirit of Christian love and humility — the very virtues that define our community. Let us continue to give thanks to God for the growth and vitality of our parish. May our unity in faith and our love for one another be a beacon of Christ’s presence in our Ortho- dox community in San Diego. As we prepare for the feast of St. Spyridon next month and the joyful Nativity season beyond, may we remain steadfast in prayer, generous in spir- it, and filled with gratitude for the blessings that abound. In Christ’s Love and Service, Anthony Kyriakidis Parish Council President FROM THE PARISH COUNCIL PRESIDENT continues 8 LEARNING TO SEE Our study year is off to a blessed beginning! On Saturday, October 11, we began our dis- cussions on the Introduction and first two chapters of Seeing The Gospel , discovering that the icons of our faith are true treasure houses of beauty, wisdom, and understand- ing. We learned that the essence of the Gos- pel can be found through the visible and material elements of the icon, which repre- sent the invisible and immaterial presence of God. It was amazing to realize that we not only contemplate the icon, but that icons contemplate us as well. When we look into the eyes of Christ, His Mother, and the Saints we can sense their invitation to move deep- er into our love of God and one another. In addition, we began to understand that icons represent historical, liturgical, and doctrinal truths, and that more than one historical time can be depicted in the same icon! Icons have existed since earliest days of the Church, yet great controversy arose over their proper use in the faith. The truth that icons are worthy to be venerated but not worshipped was established for all time at the 7th Ecumenical Council in Nicea. It is a special blessing that the chapters of our book closely mirror our Church calendar over the course of our study, and we celebrated the feast of the 7th Ecumenical Council on the Sunday after study of this important history of Orthodox icons. Also in October, several WOW members participated in the four-day celebration at Point Loma Nazarene University in the events of the unveiling of the newly com- missioned Transfiguration of Creation icon. This exceptional, six-foot-high icon will re- main on permanent display at Ryan Library on the University campus beginning in November. Anyone can view videos of the many lectures offered by the iconographer and three noted Orthodox theologians, in- cluding our own Dr. Eve Tibbs, on the You- Tube site created for the icon: www.youtube. com/@TransfigurationofCreation. In addi- tion, if you wish to view the transcripts and slides of the lectures, please reach out and we will email them to you. We had a large and lively attendance of 25 at our October meeting, but we welcome any women who wish to join us on this journey of discovery! If you want to register, learn more, or to view the transcripts and slides from the icon event, please connect with our ministry leader, Kay Harkins, at kayhar- kins@mac.com . WOMEN WORD OF THE BOOKSTORE During this time of Thanksgiving, we first “give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!” Psalm 107:1. We also give thanks for our families, our church, our priest, our deacon, and our friends. Here at the Bookstore, we include thanks to our wonderful Orthodox publish- ers that provide us with books, to help us grow in our faith. One of our favorite pub- lishers is Newrome Press. They published a lovely book: The Heavenly Gift; The Art of Liturgical Bread-Making. It brings to light the joy and unique privilege of preparing and offering liturgical bread (prosphoro) for the celebration of the Immaculate Mysteries through a concise study of its history, mean- ing, purpose, and preparation. It is much more than a recipe guide, for the reader will also find stories about saints and everyday people who have been touched by God in their preparation of the Eucharistic offering. The book also includes helpful photos of the entire preparation process, as well as helpful tips. Come take a look at this beautiful book that is produced with love, care, and prayers. Starting to think about your holiday giving, we have a wonderful collection of religious items from monasteries in Greece. Come take a look! During this “season of giving”, a Memori- al donation gift has been received by the bookstore in memory of Tasos Karagianides from Mrs. Anastasia Kyriakidis. And one anonymous donation. Heartfelt thank you to our donors for their generosity. St. John Chrysostom writes: “Nothing is so agreeable to God as a grateful and thankful soul.” May our Lord’s love fill your hearts this Thanksgiving and always, Stephanie Mourafetis, Mary Mastorakos, Pat Tsopanoglou, Francesca Captain, Hitomi Shue, and Kaylin Marino