August 2013 - Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral

August 2013 Page 3PARISH COUNCIL MESSAGEMusic and WorshipMy family and I recently returned from our yearly vacation toHawaii. This year we spent seven glorious days in Honolulu,on the island of Oahu. Our children wanted to return to PearlHarbor, since they were very young the first time we wentthere, and once again, re-living the events that happenedthere and during the remainder of the war was historical, yetvery moving to see in person and by visiting the memorial’spictorial exhibits. We also saw many more miles of thecomplete island including visiting a Buddhist Temple, touringthe government buildings, conversing with the NativeHawaiians selling agriculture within the towns and on theopen highways, and swimming with the sharks (notrecommended for those who might have any existing heart orother health problems).I strongly believe that vacations aren’t just to “get away from itall for the relaxation”. What family vacations do provide is anunparalled bonding experience. Sharing new and excitingexperiences with your family connects you in a way that fewother events allow. The activities, the meals, even arguingover who was at fault for getting lost are moments that youand family will always cherish.will present a whole new fresh and an incredible line up offood, refreshments, live music, dancing and more. It isimperative that each and every one of you (and familymembers) help out in some way, either financially or byvolunteering to help this event to be successful. Ourcommunity needs to find ways to secure and maintain theyearly operations of our beloved Cathedral and to keep thespiritual messages and love being sent out to our flock and toattract others who will join the Saint Sophia congregation inspreading the Gospel of the Lord. There are many ways thatyou can support this mission so please sign-up after Churchon Sundays, volunteer online at lagreekfest@gmail.com orcall the Church during the week and let them know that wecan count on YOU. This is not a “their” event, it’s an “our”event and I think you will be pleasantly surprised on thechanges that have been made and how good it feels to knowthat with your help, we can keep Ted and Jan Pastras’ andmany other’s dreams about our yearly festival continuing togrow and to get better and better. Our motto has to be that“We are each of us angels with one wing, and can only fly byembracing one another.” (Titus Lucretius Carus).The family is the most cherished possession of every person,but unfortunately today’s high-pressure life-style and workhours that zoon right through the weekend often leaves verylittle room for the entire family to get together. When I go onvacation, I choose to get-away-from-the-daily- stresses-of-life(the work, the home maintenance, the bills, the laundry). Ichoose instead to live in the moment. I spend more timeoutdoors, I am more active and truth be told, I am more fun. Ihope you, too, have enjoyed (or will be enjoying) a fun filledfamily vacation, too (minus the sharks circling your 1500pound steel cage).This leads me into this month’s and the beginning ofSeptember’s very important family event, our 2013 15 thAnnual L.A. Greek Fest. Our Chair persons, JohnBoudouvas, Eleni Constantine Manolellis and committeehave taken upon themselves the tremendous task andredesigning of our very important money making event and

Page 4August 2013PHILOPTOHOS NEWSI would like to take this moment to thank all of the women onthe Board of Directors, and everyone in the community, foryour support these last two years. We’re on a path thatinvolves new projects and there is something for everyone!We have some new ideas for this upcoming fall as well soplease be ready to join in. Philoptohos is work but it is alsofun and very rewarding! There will be a new project for sickchildren this fall and of course, our Christmas gift project aswell. Come to our meetings and hear what we are doing. Ifyou are new to the church or to Philoptohos we would love tomeet youFall Meeting Schedule for General Assembly meetings:mark your calendarsSunday, September 22nd – Speaker, Tina RussekSunday, October 20 – Speaker on breast cancerSunday, November 17 - Thanksgiving Luncheon. Be sureto look for the reservation flyer that will be in theSeptember Herald and weekly church bulletins. Don’tmiss out!As we are now in the ‘summer’ season, everyone starts tothink of vacations and ‘time off’. Notice how empty church isin the summer once Sunday school ends? So many peoplestop attending church, as if it only runs from Septemberthrough June and then think it’s ‘vacation time’. Well that’snot true, of course, and Philoptohos does not take vacationseither. There is no vacation for the sick and the poor, novacation for the victims of domestic abuse and no vacation forthe unemployed who need work. We are always here ifpeople need us. You may contact us by leaving a note at thechurch office. We always help our outreach cases throughoutthe year.volunteers who may wish to help sort the shoes at thewarehouse, for distribution to the schools. You may contactJudie Christopoulos at 626-840-7508 for further information.We hope you will join us at our first meeting of the newecclesiastical year on September 22nd after church. Thishas been designated National Philoptohos Day by theNational Philoptohos. Our speaker, Tina Russek from the LosAngeles Mission is a very enthusiastic speaker who informsus of what has been going on at the Mission and what theydo. We hope to hold another “Cheerios and Coffee Drive” forthe Mission in the month of October. This has been verysuccessful and the Mission is very grateful for the help.Mornings for breakfast and coffee are very busy timesbecause of the people who have been out on the street allnight long. They are adults and children who are very cold,tired and hungry.The Mission Statement of Philoptohos “ To aid the poor, thedestitute, the hungry, the aged, the sick, the unemployed, theorphaned, the imprisoned, the widowed, the handicapped, thevictims of disasters, to undertake the burial of impoverishedpersons and to offer assistance to anyone who may need thehelp of the church through fund raising efforts…” this is whatwe do and this is why we put on fundraisers throughout theyears. “For the poor you always have with you, but you donot always have me” John 12:8.With love in Christ’s service,Virginia Noyes and the Philoptohos Board of DirectorsOperation Lace Up: Our Philoptohos chapter isspearheading a new project very soon.. We are joining withthe FOCUS group to get a new pair of tennis shoes – twice ayear – to every homeless student registered in the LosAngeles Unified School District. There are 60,000 studentsregistered as ‘homeless’, in LAUSD, more than any other cityin the United States. These children suffer from fatigue/lack ofsleep, poor physical health and hunger. We are looking for

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Page 6August 2013STEWARDSHIP“Put on Christ”Modern day, technological advancements have helpedprovide countless conveniences for us all, yet they’readvancing at such a rapid rate, it’s hard to keep up anddepending upon your age, you may have seen a few morethan others.I suppose at one time, people were amazed with the inventionof the automobile. Now, my car has a computer in it, a radioconnected to a satellite, (who really knows how many stationsI get), I no longer have to unfold a map to see where I’m goingbecause a live person speaks, turn by turn, directions to mewhile I’m driving and of course there is a telephone in theresomewhere that permits me to dial and converse without evenusing my hands. When I was a kid, I dreamed that somedaythere would come a time when I would be able to make aphone call using the mobile phone in my shoe like MaxwellSmart, but apparently technology advanced so fast, that thedays of the shoe phone came and went and somehow Imissed them.Each one of us has our own personal favorite modern daytechnological advancement that has helped to simplify ourlives. Without putting too much thought into it, what’s the firstthing that comes to your mind? This may sound silly but thefirst thing that popped into my head was, of all things, “CallerID.” I can’t imagine living without it and I must confess, Iscreen my calls.Don’t get the wrong idea, I do not screen my calls when afamiliar number appears on the screen, that of a familymember, friend or colleague but for some reason, I happen toget an awful lot of calls from solicitors and thanks to caller ID,those calls go directly to my second favorite modern dayconvenience, “Voice Mail.”If there’s an 800 number appearing on my caller ID or if itreads, “Unknown Caller” I can assure you, most, every time,it’s likely a solicitor calling to ask for a hand out. Solicitorsseem to have their hands out everywhere, be it a coworker inthe work place, that person or group who camps out in front ofthe Trader Joe’s where I shop or the kids in my neighborhoodwho convince me every time that my contribution to their petcause will assuredly help them win a scholarship to summercamp.The only way I seem to be able to escape the solicitor with hishand out is by noticing him first on my caller ID and sendinghim off to my voice mail. I hope my practice of avoiding the“Unknown Caller” doesn’t sound too harsh, especially comingfrom the Co-Chair of our St. Sophia stewardship committee.For those of you who know me well, you know that I strive tobe a man of generous spirit.Let us not for one moment confuse that, “toll free” solicitationwith my efforts, as Co-Chair of St. Sophia’s stewardshipcommittee, to help St. Sophia meet its stewardship goal. Thechurch does not ask its stewards for a hand out. Certainly not,as a matter of fact, the stewards are the church. I supposethat would be like asking yourself to provide for yourself.As I try to better understand my role as a steward of thechurch, I must first start by remembering that I am made in theimage and likeness of God and at the time of my baptism, I“put on Christ” and from that moment embody Him.Some of us may have been baptized or chrismated as adultsand accepted a life, as a member of the body of Christ, at thattime. Others, like myself, where baptized as an infant, whensomeone else, my family and my Godparents accepted thatlife for me. Now, as an adult the decision to live my life as amember of the body of Christ is my own. With thatunderstanding I recognize my part as a member of Christ’sbody, a member of His church, one in the same, a member ofHis body, together with all of you. For by one Spirit we wereall baptized into one body. 1 Corinthians 12:13.As Christians, we have united ourselves with Christ and wehave also united ourselves with one another and togethereach individual, with our own specific, unique gifts and talentscombine to make up the body of His church. “Now you arethe body of Christ and members individually.” 1Corinthians 12:27.Understanding that I am created in the image and likeness ofGod and blessed with the gift of the Holy Spirit that dwellswithin my body, the temple of God, I accept a responsibility toprovide the utmost care for this this temple, my body. Thatbeing said, I also recognize and understand that each of us,as Orthodox Christians, collectively, form an even greaterbody, the body of His Church, our Lord and Savior, JesusChrist.Together, we accept and shoulder the same responsibility andobligation to provide the utmost care for this body, this templeof God, His Church, St. Sophia Cathedral as we do for ourown individual bodies. As it is understood that one wouldassume responsibility to provide maximum care for ones ownbody then clearly it is also understood that as members of thebody of Christ and His Church, we assume, that sameresponsibility to fully care for His Church, our cathedral, St.Sophia.There is no solicitation necessary, no need to hide behind an800 number as an “unknown caller”. We know who we areand we know from Whom we’ve come and we know whywe’re here, that we may continue to do the good work of ourLord Jesus Christ through the ministries of His Church, St.Sophia.Thank you for your care and thank you for your generousstewardship.Dean & Christina Peratsakis

August 2013 Page 9Saint Sophia CathedralGreek Folk Dance MinistryIf your child is 5 years old by December 1 st they are eligible to join our youngestgroup. Dance practices will begin the weekend of September 22nd. Please checkwith your directors for the time and location. If you are a new dancer, please contactthe numbers listed below for more information.Greek Folk Dance Ministry Annual Orientation and Registration Meeting.Please join us September 15, 2013 General Assembly Room 1:00 PMATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY in order to complete your registration forms, payyour fees, and receive updated information on the program. You may also access theregistration forms on Saint Sophia Cathedral’s website. If you are over 18 please planon attending registration meeting.The goal of our Saint Sophia Dance Ministry is to connect our children to a relationship withour Lord Jesus Christ as expressed through our Orthodox Faith and as celebrated by our richculture and heritage of dance and song.Thus, Please Note: It is mandatory that each dancer must attend Sunday School, on time, atleast 10 times from the beginning of the Fall Semester through January 26 th .We look forward to seeing you at the meeting on September 15, 2013For further information please contact: Kristin Thomas Lee ,(818) 216-5966 or Barbara Kappos, (626) 358-7536 or Demitra Koutsos, (818) 903-7059. You can also e-mail us at:st.sophia.folkdance@gmail.com

Page 10Dinah and Shelly Wellington:Heroes of Orthodox ParentingBy Father Allan BoydAssistant Priest at Saint Sophia CathedralLast month, Metropolitan Gerasimos awarded two of ourbeloved parishioners, Shelly and Dinah Wellington, thehighest honor offered by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese—the Medal of St. Paul. Many people at our parish are awareof Dinah’s son Kenyatta, and his years of faithfully serving asan acolyte at St Sophia’s altar. A couple of years ago hereceived a full ride scholarship to play basketball at HarvardUniversity. You may have heard that he is ranked as the # 4center among the country’s Division 1 basketball teams. ButCOMMUNITY NEWSAugust 2013Shelly’s Godly influence continued on even after the birth ofher grandson, Kenyatta. Her invigoration kept the familygoing to church every Sunday since the day he was born.Through Shelly’s example, they taught him to stop to pray atthe times of the ancient hours of the prayer, at 9AM; Noon;3PM; 6PM; & 9PM. At the time of prayer they always stoppedto say the “Our Father” prayer…always…always, until an ever-present trust in God became a part of their family’s verybeing. And so, that was the faith that Kenyatta grew up beingexposed to. Dinah & Shelly were constantly letting him knowthat no matter how difficult things seem, God is always therecaring for us…and that we need to thank Him always, and totrust in Him always because He is the one who takes care ofus. By their example, Kenyatta came to know that it was Godalone who gave them the strength to transcend any and alltragedies. And it is those tragedies that make their story socompelling and so powerful.most of St Sophia’s parishioners have likely not yet heardabout this family’s remarkably faith-filled story…nor theirrelatively simple secrets to raising children up to be Godly andextraordinary leaders among their peers. What an inspiringgift of faith this family offers to our community!When I asked Dinah what kind of Christian parent her motherShelly was when she was growing up, she recounted thisstory, “We went to Catholic churches while we were growingup here in Los Angeles. We learned the “Our Father…” whichwe did every night as a family.” Dinah describes her mother’sinsistence that no one in the family was permitted to carry illfeelings with another beyond the incident at hand. If therewas an argument, they would have to come to a resolutionthat same day. The pattern of God’s love was kept at thecenter of their lives.Many years ago, Shelly, the family matron and her husband,brought their young family to the United States from Belize, athird world, Caribbean country in northern Central America.Her daughter, Dinah, was 4 years old at the time. After Dinahhad grown up and given birth to Kenyatta, they wanted to helphim grow up most closely connected to God, so they began,at first, to increase their attendance at a Roman Catholicparish. But the tragic loss of three close family members,including Shelly’s husband and her youngest son (Dinah’syoungest brother)…and the struggles of trying to cope leftthem questioning whether they were in the right churchenvironment to equip them for the spiritual struggles that layahead. In Shelly’s own words, “At that point, we knew thatthere was something in our soul that we needed to knowabout and so we turned to God…we turned to the Bible.Dinah one day went to Kmart, who had Bibles on sale and soshe bought two Bibles and she gave me one and she tookone. I started to cry each time I read the Old Testament…sopowerful because at that point I got to know about God andthe all prophets…and it was so beautiful…and about how hehad the Temple set up. But something was missing in ourheart, in our soul, in our mind and so I was looking in theYellow Pages to find another church. I saw the GreekOrthodox Church and decided to come and see. I walked intoSt Sophia Cathedral at 8:30 on Sunday and I stood for theOrthros and it was just like what I had read from the OldTestament…the altar…the priest. And when Fr. John cameout right before the liturgy and he was teaching us the“Studies in Faith,” that was awesome. I had never heardanybody talk like that, ever, ever in this whole time of my life.And I thought that was a plus, this way of being the church.And when the choir came on, everything was so beautiful tome…it was like being in heaven.”

August 2013 Page 11COMMUNITY NEWSMost of you know that from there they went on to becomefaithful members of St Sophia Cathedral. By God’s grace andthrough your acceptance and encouragement and love forthem, they’ve been able to cope with the terrible losses intheir lives and to flourish. However, many of you don’t realizehow much more there is to Kenyatta’s story.By the time that Kenyatta started playing basketball, he wasalready deeply rooted in his faith. Therefore there was onething that he always insisted on. He won’t participate inpractices or games that take place on Sunday morning,because he wants to be in Church. As you can imagine, he’sreceived quite of bit of contempt from others for this personalstance in life. Not only was he ridiculed by coaches, but alsoby teammates and parents. Whenever a game didn’t go theirway, they always shifted the blame onto him. Dinah recallsthat when Kenyatta was a very spiritually mature 13 years old,he responded to one coach’s ridicule by saying, “You can’tsave my soul. So if it’s between going to church and playingball here, it’s gonna be church. Do you want me to go on thecourt or not?”When I asked Kenyatta about similar experiences now at theDivision 1 level of college ball, and the risks that such astance might present to a potentially lucrative futurebasketball career, he said, “They knew that I took this stancefrom the very beginning when I came to this team, so theyshould never be surprised if I don’t show up for a practice or agame on a Sunday morning. First and foremost, I’m here todo what God wants for my life. If He wants me to playbasketball, then it won’t matter if I’m not at practices or gameson Sunday mornings, because God will work it out. But if Godhas some plan for my life other than basketball, then I’d muchrather be where He wants me…I need to be where He wantsme.”After you finish reading this article, please offer up a prayer forKenyatta’s continued strengthening in his Christian faith…andfor his family. Then think about following the Wellingtons’example of praying the “Our Father…” or the “Jesus Prayer”on each of the hours of 9AM; Noon; 3PM; 6PM & 9PM. It’ssimple! It’s just a short prayer each time. Like them, let thewords also begin to permeate your soul, so that coming totrust God as the ultimate source of ALL life, God may also fillyou with such joy of purpose. Try setting an alarm on your cellphone to remind yourself pray the hours and cultivate agrateful spirit!

Page 12MINISTRIESAugust 2013Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox CathedralVery Reverend Father John S. Bakas, Dean Reverend Father Allan (Gabriel) BoydJim Kollias, Choir Director Dimitris Liogris , Protopsaltis Michael Kontaxis, Assistant PsaltisChristopher Yokas, OrganistJames Karatsikis, SextonFOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEESExecutive OfficersGeorge E. Preonas, PresidentAndrew Evangelatos, Executive Vice PresidentDr. James A. Demetriou, Vice President & C.F.O.Constantine Boukidis, SecretaryTina Callas, TreasurerMembersV. Rev. Fr. John S. Bakas Nicholas BissiasTimi Loomos Freshman Alek Haidos Steve HannaMichael Huffington Gig Kyriacou Brent NoyesJohn T. Pappas Jim ZaferisPresidential AppointmentsAnthony A. Demetriou, Presidential AssistantJohn G. Marakas III, Sr. Advisor to the BoardPARISH COUNCIL BOARD OF DIRECTORSExecutive OfficersBrent Noyes, PresidentJohn Kopatsis, Vice PresidentIrene Andreadis, Recording SecretaryKaren Sarames, Corresponding SecretaryMichael Kraios, Treasurer & C.F.O.MembersBertha Angels Eleni Constantine ManolelisJeanine Hanna Glenn Lianos Loula MoschonasKouji Nakata Alex Oxyzolou Peter PallasDean Peratsakis Dorothy SpirusAuditing CommitteeAnthony Demetriou Tom MoorePHILOPTOHOS SOCIETYExecutive OfficersVirginia Noyes, PresidentHelene Ballas, 1st Vice PresidentMarianna Politis, 2nd Vice PresidentMary Gallanis, Recording SecretaryLola Gialketsis, Corresponding SecretaryScarlett Billis, TreasurerDina Oldknow, AdvisorHonorary Life MembersJennie DoumakMembersChristine PeratisAllison Stavaridis Frances Bissias Judith ChristopoulosPauline Evangelatos Olga Jordan Tricia KremerConi Manders Sophie Mastor Jan PastrasChristina PeratsakisMary TassopJayne Poullos Sonia StathesOFFICE STAFFMaria ToczekHelen Ellis, Office Admin. Irene Andreadis, Acting Events Admin.Noah Johnson, Admin. Assist. Chris Halekakis, Facilities DirectorCUSTODIAL STAFFLeonard Hart Miguel Rosales Mauricio MiraALTAR BOYSChris HalekakisBASKETBALLGig Kyriacou & Paul CooperBIBLE STUDYVery Rev. Father John BakasRev. Father Allan BoydBOOK STOREWilliam StriglosCAMP ZOEVery Rev. Father John BakasCHILD CAREKathy & Marsha ZagorianosCHOIRJim KolliasCOFFEE HOURAnn PappasGeorgia VasilaDOCENTSFaye DemetriouEASTER PICNICTed PappasGREEK DANCE GROUPSBarbara KapposGREEKS in HOLLYWOODDina DemetriusHELLENIC ACADEMYAndri ChristodoulidouHOSPITALITYNiki KorbakisMaria PelargosL.A. GREEK FESTJohn Boudouvas andEleni Constantine ManolellisMR. & MRS. CLUBDean & Christine PeratsakisODOS “The Way”Helen LambrosPARENTINGNick StefanidisBarbara KapposPHILANTHROPIARev. Father Peter LambertPHILOPTOHOS V.I.P.Mary Morrison, PresidentSAINT SOPHIA CAMPMelanie O’ReganJack Stumpus (Golf Event)Tony Mastor (Tennis Event)Mary-Kay Demetriou (TennisEvent)SUNDAY SCHOOLEleni YokasYOUTHRev. Father Allan Boyd

August 2013 Page 13AUGUST SACRAMENTS & MEMORIALSBAPTISMSEPISTLE READERSSunday 4Sunday 25Nicholas Charles MaglarisParents: Steven and Ruby MaglarisGodparents: Maria and Harold MaglarisJames Schwalm Jr. (Chrismation)Parents: James & Lisa SchalmGodparent: Tina CallasAugust 4August 11August 18August 25Brent NoyesChristos TheophanousPresbytera Danita BoydDean PeratsakisSaturday 17 Joanna Kteitem and Felix ShieldsKoumbaroi: Sandra Kreitem and Mike OchoaFriday 23WEDDINGSArsineh Alaverdian andGregory George BarsomSaturday 24 Elizabeth Monroe Meeker Jensen andWilliam Henry HuttingerKoumbaros: Stefanos RoulakisSaturday 24 Nedeen Nasser and Michael BepkoSaturday 31 Amy Sargious and Devin KehlSaturday 31 Amira Nessim and Sherif SaidSaturday 31 Stella Avetisyan and Michael ZoitasKoumbaros: Taso ZoitasLouis LoukarisDespinaHarikliaStavrosMarikaMyltiadesGinaLitsaAugust 4August 11Nicholas KatsapisMEMORIALSAugust 18Jenny XenopoulouAnthony XenopoulosChristine XenopoulouStanley FunlDimitri PopoffMichael KitrosGeorge PanayiAugust 25Attention:All those who may need assistance with Social Securityforms, Medicare forms, Medicaid, Disability, or any othergovernment assistance issues.We have a wonderful and fully qualified volunteer, Kerry Kile,from our community who is willing to be at Saint Sophia oncea month after church to help the elderly or anyone else whoANNOUNCEMENTSmay wish her assistance. Your information is completelyconfidential. She can bring all of the forms so that everythingcan be done efficiently and effectively. Kerry is a professionalcase manager and has graciously offered her services tothose in need of her assistance. Please call Timi LoomosFreshman to set up your appointment...310-271-5895.

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Page 18August 2013By John KopatsisThe most important art treasure on the island of Syros, wasaccidentally discovered in the Holy Cathedral of Dormition(Κοιμηση) of the Theotokos in 1983. It is an icon of TheDormition of the Theotokos painted by none other than ayoung El Greco around 1562-1564, when he was 19-21. It issigned clearly by him on the base of the central candelabrum,which makes it possibly one of the earliest works of El Grecoin existence. An extremely pious, cultured man, El Greco'svery intense, spiritual works are famed for their tortuouslyelongated figures. The most unusual painter in 16th-centuryEurope, El Greco combined the strict Byzantine style of hishomeland, Greece, with influences received during his studiesin Venice and the medieval tradition of the country where heworked, Spain. When he signed his paintings he appendedafter his name "Doménicos Theotocópoulos” the word"epoia”, meaning “he made it” in Greek. (ΔομήνικοςΘεοτοκόπουλος ἐποία). In the Dormition of the Virgin thepainter used the word "o deixas", meaning “he displayed it”in Greek. (Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος o δείξας) instead of"epoia.” The icon, which to Orthodox Christians retains itsfunction as an object of veneration in the Holy Cathedral ofDormition of the Theotokos, was probably brought to theisland during the Greek War of Independence from theMonastery of the Holy Mountain of the Dormition of theTheotokos in the island of Psara after the catastrophe ofPsara in 1824.This discovery constituted a significant advance in theunderstanding of El Greco's formation and early career. Theicon conforms closely to the established pattern for Dormitionof the Theotokos which is very common in the OrthodoxChurch in which El Greco was raised and was influenced by.Its intimate size would have made it suitable for the use of asingle viewer meditating on this subject of deep theologicaland spiritual significance. Resplendent in its use of gold, thecomposition follows a standard Byzantine formula to depictMary’s death and the transition of her soul into heaven. WhenEl Greco painted this icon though, one eye looked inreverence to the traditions of Byzantine iconography, while theother looked ahead in anticipation of his budding manneriststyle, combining Byzantine and Italian mannerist stylistic andiconographic elements. The Theotokos is very much central tothe image, lying with her arms folded on her chest. A verticalapproach is evident and is formed by the figure of Christ wholooms above Mary, holding her soul in his hand. There aretwo apostles at the extremities of the horizon and a secondhorizontal plane is created by groups of Apostles and bishops.As was the case with other versions of this work, the verticalis accentuated by the angel at the top center. El Greco's colorpalate of warm gold tones, shows the Italian influence on hisearlier career. The golden tones are broken up by shimmeringred of the garments, and the brightest color is that used topaint Mary's halo, in the foreground of the image.El Greco's TheBurial of theCount Orgaz isuniversallyconsidered ElGreco’s greatestmasterpiece.Some evenclaim that this isthe mostbeautifullycrafted religiouspainting of alltime.Ever since ElGreco executedthe paintingbetween 1586— 1588, peoplehave beenThe Burial of the Count of Orgazflocking to theSanto Tome church in Toledo, Spain, where the impressive16 by 10-foot image is displayed. The composition of theBurial of the Count of Orgaz has been closely related to theByzantine iconography of the Dormition of the Theotokos andhas a very close relationship with the subject icon of theDormition by El Greco. Many art historians believe that theiconographic type of the Dormition was the specificcompositional model for the Burial of the Count of Orgaz, andassert that El Greco as a genuine Byzantine painter workedthroughout his life with a repertoire of components and motifsat will, depending on the narrative and expressiverequirements of the art.Most of his contemporaries met El Greco’s dramatic andexpressionistic style with puzzlement, but his works foundappreciation in the late 19th/early 20th century. Thesymbolists, and Pablo Picasso during his Blue Period, drewon the cold tonality of El Greco, utilizing the anatomy of hisascetic figures. The expressionists focused on theexpressive distortions of El Greco. Greek writer NikosKazantzakis, who felt a great spiritual affinity for El Greco,called his autobiography Report to Greco and wrote a tributeto the Cretan-born artist.The English art historian David Davies seeks the roots of ElGreco's style in the intellectual sources of his Greek-Christian education and in the world of his recollectionsfrom the liturgical and ceremonial aspect of the OrthodoxChurch. Davies believes that the religious climate of theCounter-Reformation and the aesthetics of mannerism actedas catalysts to activate his individual technique. He assertsthat the philosophies of Platonism and ancient Neo-Platonism, the works of Plotinus and Pseudo-Dionysius theAreopagite, the texts of the Church fathers and the Liturgyoffer the keys to the understanding of El Greco's style.

August 2013 Page 19AUGUST 2013Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat123Dormition FastBegins7:30pm OT BibleStudy w/Fr. AllanSmall Paraclesisto theTheotokos7:30 pm456789106thSunday ofMatthew8:15am Orthros9:15am FaithStudies9:45am Memorials10am Divine Liturgy7thSunday ofMatthew118:15am Orthros9:15am FaithStudies9:45am Memorials10am Divine Liturgy7:30pm Catechismw/Fr. Allan127:30pm Catechismw/Fr. AllanTransfigurationof Christ8:30am Orthros9:30am LiturgySmall Paraclesisto theTheotokos7:30 pm7:30pm OT BibleStudy w/Fr. Allan13 14 15Dormition of theTheotokos8:30am Orthros9:30am Liturgy7:30pm OT BibleStudy w/Fr. AllanSmall Paraclesisto theTheotokos7:30 pm16 17188th Sunday ofMatthew1920 21 2223 248:15am Orthros9:15am FaithStudies9:45am Memorials10am Divine Liturgy259th Sunday ofMatthew8:15am Orthros9:15am FaithStudies9:45am Memorials10am Divine Liturgy7:30pm Catechismw/Fr. Allan267:30pm Catechismw/Fr. Allan7:30pm OT BibleStudy w/Fr. Allan27 28 29Beheading ofJohn the Baptist8:30am Orthros9:30am Liturgy7:30pm OT BibleStudy w/Fr. Allan30 31Strict Fast Fish Allowed Wine and OilAllowedDairy, Eggs,and FishAllowedFast Free

Page Saint Sophia 20 Greek CathedralGreek Orthodox Community1324 South Normandie AvenueLos Angeles, California 90006TIME SENSITIVEAugust 2013Place address label herePhone323 737 2424Fax323 737 7029E-mailoffice@stsophia.orgWe’re on the Web!www.stsophia.orgSAVETHE DATEFOR THIS YEAR’S BIGGESTBLOCKBUSTERLA’s world-famous Greek festival at Saint Sophia Cathedral is back this September with a fresh look and anincredible line up of food, beer, wine, live music, dancing and more. Mark your calendars for September 6,7 & 8 and help us make it a year to remember. For donations or volunteer inquiries, email:lagreekfest@gmail.com