By Michalis Kakias
CLIFTON, NJ – A large crowd of people attended and were entertained at the Saint George Greek Orthodox Church Festival in the town of Clifton, NJ, which took place from Friday, May 5 to Sunday, May 7. Greeks and non-Greeks alike enjoyed the traditional Greek food and desserts, the live music and traditional dances, a marketplace with a variety of goods, and children’s activities.
The new leader of the community, Fr. Angelo Artemas, told The National Herald that this festival is the first of the season to be held in New Jersey followed by all the other Greek communities of the state. All the proceeds, he said, from the entry ticket will be allocated for the construction of the St. Nicholas National Shrine at the World Trade Center.
“On this occasion, I would like to thank the faithful of the parish for the love they have shown in welcomed me to the community. I have come to this beautiful church just a few months ago and they all embraced me and accepted me with much love. This is an excellent community with good people and good Christians. I feel truly blessed by God that I can serve them,” said Fr. Angelo. The President of the Parish Council, Nikolaos Markopoulos, thanked all attendees who honored the festival with their presence, as well as all the volunteers and sponsors for their great work and donations, and noted that all revenues would be allocated for operating expenses and repairs for the Church. “St. George was built in 1978 and has about 350 family members. We are a very active community that is constantly growing,” he said.
Lola Katsanou, a member of Philoptochos, praised the social and charitable work that the community is doing.
“Our association,” she said, “has about 80 members to provide moral and material help and support to our fellow humans in need, while helping our church in all events.”
Zoe Logothetis, principal of the Greek School, noted that the school has 70 students and 8 teachers, ranging from the pre-school to the 6th grade. Classes take place every Tuesday and Thursday from 4 PM to 6 PM and celebrate all religious and national celebrations. Also, an adult class operates in the school.
Yiannis Foukas, a member of the council and a former president, thanked the people for the love and support they showed at the church of Saint George and praised the new priest, Fr. Angelo, who, as he said, advises and guides the parishioners with the Christian and Hellenic values.
Finally, Tina Stamis, one of the oldest members of the community and in charge of the pastries at the festival for the last 16 years, noted that Saint George’s three-day festival attracts a great crowd each year and is one of the most important cultural events in Clifton.
Fr. Angelo celebrated his first Divine Liturgy as the Proistamenos of St. George Church in Clifton on December 4, 2016. More information about St. George Greek Orthodox Church of Clifton , NJ is available online at www.stgeorgeclifton.org.
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