BOSTON – Businessman and philanthropist Nick Manolis from Dracut, Massachusetts spent much time preparing the Paschal lamb on Holy Saturday. The National Herald met with him at his restaurant, The Dracut House of Pizza & Seafood, while he was preparing the lamb on the skewer with his son Elias and his friend Charles Kanavos.
Manolis told TNH that, “you can’t have a Greek Orthodox Pascha without the roasted lamb which, as you see, we are preparing today.” He also said that “we have an obligation and a duty to continue the customs and the traditions which we have received from our parents; that is why my son Elias is observing and participates in the preparation process, so that he can continue the tradition.”
When TNH asked him about the secret of a successful Paschal lamb he said, “first of all you have to have love and respect for the tradition. You also have to apply the correct process and to also use the right ingredients. And it is pivotal to properly place the lamb and tie it on the skewer. A lot of attention is needed for the roasting itself, taking care about the duration, and the intensity of the fire.”
Manolis had invited more than thirty friends to enjoy the lamb meal, called in Greek, “ovelias”.
It is reminded that Manolis and his family are the ones who distribute every Thanksgiving thousands of turkey dinners with all the trimmings, providing a decent meal to people in need.
They have established the Manolis Family Foundation, which helps people in need throughout the year, and also provides scholarships to students.
Manolis said that, “of course the reason we do the roasted lamb, the red eggs, the bread and all the sweets is to celebrate the great feast of the Resurrection of Christ which takes place in the Church. All the Holy Services of Holy Week touch my heart.”
Manolis, his family, and many other Greek Orthodox faithful attend the Services at St. George Antiochian Orthodox parish in Lowell despite the fact that there are three Greek Orthodox parishes in Lowell within very short distances from each other. There is also another parish in the nearby town of Dracut, about three miles away.
All his life Manolis was a member and supporter of the Transfiguration parish of Lowell, and a member and also past president of the parish council until the year 2009 when Metropolitan Methodios of Boston dismissed nine PC members. He also summoned them to Spiritual Court because they refused to give a $12,000 raise to the priest at the time who had only been in the parish for six months. Another reason cited for the action was their replying to Methodios’ letter by telling him that he had not shown that he really cared for the parish. With the expulsion of Manolis and the other members of the parish council, a massive exodus of parishioners took place – whole families just departed.
Manolis said, “many of us left, as well our children. They all had participated in Sunday School and the youth organizations, but Methodios expelled their parents and thus the children stopped going to Church. One boy wanted to be a priest, but he is gone.”
Asked whether any attempt was made by Methodios to reach out to those people during the ten years that had passed, he said, “no, nobody,” and he added “we go to St. George Antiochian church where we are welcomed, where we find love and respect.”
When TNH asked him why he doesn’t return to the Transfiguration parish, Manolis said, “it doesn’t attract me anymore. We went to church to help because this is what our faith teaches us to do.”
He also said that, “Lowell is finished; people don’t go to church, it doesn’t attract them. Why should they go? The priests are always asking for money and more money. We all read The National Herald and we are informed about everything that is going on with the finances of the Archdiocese, St. Nicholas, and the Theological School. We don’t have any more trust. They send correspondence to homes saying ‘end your cable TV subscription,’ or ‘instead of buying coffee, send the money to us.’ And our hierarchs haven’t learned anything from the Roman Catholics regarding the pedophiles and the rest. They send them to psychiatrists for a few months and they reassign them again.”
Asked what he would say to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew if he had the opportunity to talk to him, Manolis said, “you must dismiss them all from Archbishop Demetrios, who has embarrassed us, on down – they have destroyed us. Methodios here is destroying the parishes – you should have gotten rid of him many years ago.”
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