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St. Sophia's
This digital vignette is about the St. Sophia’s Greek Orthodox Church’s FUNstival celebration. Thank you to Greg Asvestas and Linda Peterson for sharing images and history with the St. Mary's Strip History Project. Additional information came from the San Antonio Express News. Thank you to Shara Graves for connecting me with the St. Sophia’s community.
In the summer of 1924 many Greek families of San Antonio came together with the goal to build a Greek Orthodox church for their community. Prior to the establishment of a church, the Greek community would often have religious services at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church downtown, with Greek Orthodox priests traveling from Houston and Dallas to officiate. The Society and Church of St. Sophia was created and its charter was submitted to the State of Texas that August.
The organization bought land soon after the charter was established from the San Antonio Water Supply Co. on the corner of Ashby and Jones Avenue (what is now N. St. Mary’s) for $5,500 (around $100,000 today). Construction documents were prepared in the fall of 1925 with Emmitt Jackson as architect. The structure was completed a year later, with its first service being held on December 25, 1926.
Image of St. Sophia's from a San Antonio Express News article in 1933.
Image of a Sanborn Fire Insurance map page from the 1924 volume. The church was completed in 1926, but the company would paste updates into their volumes before surveying the whole city again for a new edition.
Ticket booth at FUNstival entry, circa 1988-1992.
In 1961, the church held its first FUNstival at La Villita. This event was the church’s largest annual fundraiser and a way to share its Orthodox faith and Greek / Hellenic culture with the larger San Antonio community. The festival featured traditional Greek food, dress, and dancing.
The FUNstival was held at La Villita until 1988 when it came to the church. The congregation was able to do so because of renovations, including an updated parking lot and new kitchen at the church in 1986.
San Antonio Express News article about FUNstival coming to St. Sophia's Greek Orthodox Church on St. Mary's, 1988.
Greg Asvestas serves as MC between children’s dancing and the Greek band performance in one of the event tents, 1992.
While church officials felt it was becoming too commercialized at La Villita, FUNstival organizers saw the event as a way to bring different groups of people to the newly defined entertainment district of the St. Mary’s Strip, and showcase St. Sophia Greek Church. With the recent Halloween and Mardi Gras block party events, there was certainly precedent to festival style events on the street. With the FUNstival’s homecoming, the congregation could add tours of the church to share its history and heritage.
Outside St. Sophia's Greek Orthodox Church for the annual FUNstival with a shuttle bus bringing visitors, circa 1989-1992.
Nick Anthony cooking at FUNstival, circa 1988-1992.
Danny Organ (?) cooking at FUNstival, circa 1988-1992.
The dance group, Kali Pareah (The Good Crowd) was led by Linda Peterson during this time. Her father, Demetres Catacalos, was one of the founders of the festival, and Peterson had been participating in traditional dance since the 1970s. Dances were performed four times a day during the three-day event.
The image carousel above shows dancers in traditional Greek dress for the 1992 FUNstival.
The FUNstival occurred every October at St. Sophia’s until 2016. The church cites a decrease in volunteer participation, as the event was typically a six-month commitment. Then with Covid and street construction, there's been additional reason to hold off on the event. The church hopes that with the coming centennial celebration of the church in 2026, the FUNstival will be able to return in October of 2025.
Program from the last FUNstival in 2015.
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