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Parish Community Letter -Decemeber 2025

11/30/2025

Dear Saint Sophia Parishioners, On behalf of Father Steve and with his blessings, the Parish Council would like to provide the SSC Community with an update. We hope everyone had a WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING and we wish you and yours a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! LITURGICAL CALENDAR – every Sunday 8:30 Orthros and 10:00 Divine Liturgy – please see the website, website calendar, bulletins, and emails for other services. ASK YOUR PARISH

The Sixteenth Day of Christmas Advent. Apostle Andrew, the Holy and All-Praised First-Called

11/30/2025

The Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called was the first of the Apostles to follow Christ, and he later brought his own brother, the holy Apostle Peter, to Christ (John 1:35-42). The future apostle was from Bethsaida, and from his youth he turned with all his soul to God. He did not enter into marriage, and he worked with his brother as a fisherman. When the holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John began to preach, Saint

The Fourteenth Day of Christmas Advent. Have a Dickens of a Christmas

11/28/2025

~By Father Stephen Freeman, December 12, 2022 In the late 1600’s in colonial Boston, the celebration of Christmas was against the law. Indeed, anyone evidencing the “spirit of Christmas” could be fined five shillings. In the early 1800’s, Christmas was better known as a season for rioting in the streets and civil unrest.1 However, in the mid-1800’s some interesting things changed the cultural response to the feast and, in 1870, Christmas was declared a federal holiday

The Thirteenth Day of Christmas Advent. All About Thanksgiving

11/27/2025

~By Father Lawrence Farley The Christian Faith is all about thanksgiving. Our secular North American society thinks that thanksgiving is moderately important, and so it has a wonderful Thanksgiving Day feast once a year. I love this feast. Every October…when the leaves start to turn colour and the days become a little cooler, we gather if possible with our extended families and sit down to a turkey dinner. There are no pilgrims and no Plymouth

The Twelfth Day of Christmas Advent. Venerable Stylianos of Paphlagonia

11/26/2025

St. Stylianos was from Paphlagonia living in the latter 6th century and early 7th century. He loved the Lord Jesus Christ with his whole heart and lived in strict asceticism. When he fell asleep in the Lord, his face shone like the sun and an angel appeared to take his soul to Glory. His prayers have worked many miracles, both during his earthly life and since. He is of special help to children who are

The Eleventh Day of Christmas Advent. Saint Catherine of Alexandria

11/25/2025

~By His Eminence Metropolitan PANTELEIMON of Antinoes Saint Catherine of Alexandria, also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr Saint Catherine (Greek ἡ Ἁγία Αἰκατερίνη ἡ Μεγαλομάρτυς) is a Christian saint and martyr. The Orthodox Church venerates her as a “great martyr“. St. Catherine was the daughter of Costus, a pagan governor of Alexandria. She announced to her parents that she would only marry someone who surpassed her in beauty, intelligence, wealth, and social status. This was an early foreshadowing of her eventual discovery of Christ. “His

The Tenth Day of Christmas Advent. Finding Your Place

11/24/2025

~By Father Stephen Freeman, December 5, 2022 Among the many things we desire, an important one is a “place to belong.” With the fragmentation of the extended family, and so much else, a growing number of people are becoming acutely aware that they do not “belong” anywhere. Our highly franchised suburban world often has the strange effect that places separated by miles (even states), all look the same, have the same stores, the same restaurants,

Fr. Gregory Gatanas assigned to Saint Sophia Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

11/22/2025

His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America blessed and formally assigned Fr. Gregory Gatanas to his new ministry, as shown in the accompanying photo with the District Chancellor, the Rev. Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne Elias G. Villis. Effective December 1, 2025, Fr. Gregory will begin his priestly life as the Assistant Priest at Saint Sophia Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Fr. Gregory Gatanas was born and raised in Flushing, Queens, and grew up in the St.

The Seventh Day of Christmas Advent. The Entrance of the Theotokos

11/21/2025

~By His Eminence Metropolitan PANTELEIMON of Antinoes The Entrance of the Ever Virgin Mary and Theotokos in God’s Temple is considered to be one of the most important events in the History of Salvation. All the Orthodox Church around the world is celebrating the Entrance of the Mother of God, the Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary, into the Holy of Holies. The faithful and all the heavenly Powers conjoin and concelebrate. Earth rejoices and the

The Sixth Day of Christmas Advent. The Word became flesh (John 1:14) A Sermon on the Nativity of Christ

11/20/2025

Saint John of Kronstadt The Word became flesh; that is, the Son of God, co-eternal with God the Father and with the Holy Spirit, became human — having become incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary. O, wondrous, awesome and salvific mystery! The One Who had no beginning took on a beginning according to humanity; the One without flesh assumed flesh. God became man — without ceasing to be God. The Unapproachable One

In the News

Parish Community Letter -Decemeber 2025

The Sixteenth Day of Christmas Advent. Apostle Andrew, the Holy and All-Praised First-Called

The Fourteenth Day of Christmas Advent. Have a Dickens of a Christmas

The Thirteenth Day of Christmas Advent. All About Thanksgiving

The Twelfth Day of Christmas Advent. Venerable Stylianos of Paphlagonia

The Eleventh Day of Christmas Advent. Saint Catherine of Alexandria

The Tenth Day of Christmas Advent. Finding Your Place

Fr. Gregory Gatanas assigned to Saint Sophia Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

The Seventh Day of Christmas Advent. The Entrance of the Theotokos

The Sixth Day of Christmas Advent. The Word became flesh (John 1:14) A Sermon on the Nativity of Christ

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