Parishioner Stories: Rich, Kathy, Sophia and Alex Garcia
Thank you so much for giving us the time to talk about what being a member of the St. George family means to us.
From a young age, each of our families raised us to have a very strong Faith as I was raised Greek Orthodox, and Rich, Christian. Our Faith continued to grow as we matured, and it quickly became even more prominent in our lives when we met each other. It was just on our second date that I told Rich I was Greek Orthodox and asked his thoughts on dating someone Greek. As the discussion quickly evolved, the topic pivoted from dating to getting married and raising children in the Greek Orthodox church if our relationship progressed to that point. Although Rich hadn’t had much exposure to the Greek Orthodox religion at the time, he agreed to both and was eager to see what the future brought.
As time and our relationship progressed, our Faith supported us through very difficult times such as the loss of many loved ones and it also brought countless blessings including college graduation, moving from our home state of Indiana to start our careers in Chicago and the sacrament of marriage. Although our faith never wavered and continued to grow, we struggled to find a parish in Chicago that felt like we truly belonged and could make a difference as we started our lives in our new home city.
As fate would have it, after moving to Chicago, we connected with my mom's best friend who became our beloved Thea Vaso. Thea Vaso and my mom had grown up in the horio in Greece like sisters but had lost touch many years later after moving to different cities in the US to raise their families. Although my mom had unfortunately passed away a few years prior, with a little bit of fate, I was able to connect with Thea Vaso and she encouraged us to go to St. George with her for Lenten services. We quickly realized we had found the right community as we immediately felt welcomed by the parishioners, felt impacted by the services, and felt embraced by Father Chris. Over time, our sense of belonging continued to grow and we realized how blessed we were not just to have found the right church but to have also found the right Orthodox family. And, as we built our family within St. George, our Thea Vaso's son, Pete Vasilopoulos, his wife Eleni and their amazing kids, who are all members of St. George, became our Koubari.
Since being stewards of St. George, we have been blessed beyond words. Our daughter Sophia was first welcomed into the community at her 40-day blessing in 2015 and then her baptism at St. George in 2016 when Pete and Eleni Vasilopoulos became her Godparents. In addition, we welcomed our son Alex into the world in 2017. We vividly remember his 40-day blessing took place right after Father’s sermon while the congregation was still present. It was so touching to us to have our Orthodox family welcome Alex. As we raise our children, it is incredibly important to us that their faith in God, and in their church, continues to grow and serve as a cornerstone of their lives just as it has for their parents.
Sophia attended the St. George pre-school and now attends Greek School with Alex and Sunday School. Both of our kids have built a network of friends and family while deepening their understanding of the Orthodox faith and the role it plays in our lives. It has been incredible to see their faith deepen at such young ages through our educational ministries at St. George. In fact, Sophia is quick to do her stavro and prosephi before meals and bed and will let you know if you aren’t doing it well. With her incredible foundation from St. George, we’re happy she now loves going to school and has said she wants to be a teacher when she grows up. Who knows, her continued stewardship could start with teaching preschool or Sunday school when she’s older.
We are so grateful to be part of such a welcoming and extensive parish that not only provides for its members but also its community. Of course, these opportunities would not exist if we didn’t have tremendous stewards who donate their time, energy and generosity to grow the church, the community and our Orthodox family to make St. George unlike no other.
With Utmost Gratitude and Love,
Kathy, Rich, Sophia and Alex