NEW YORK – One of the first vasilopita cuttings of the year is likely to be among the most touching, drawing past parishioners and friends to join with those who strive to maintain the historic parish of St. George and St. Demetrios on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
Like many inner city communities, the suburbs draining away parishioners, but a dedicated core soldiers on out of love for parish, and in memory of the pioneers. Good Greeks, knowing a thing or two about real estate, they are now seeing the neighborhood take a strong turn for the better.
Archbishop Demetrios, who presided over the liturgy, paid tribute to the parishioners with a powerful comparison. He told the story hearing from Cardinal Dolan that his diocese had closed or would close 72 churches – some with as many as 1000 members.
When Dolan asked what the Orthodox Church does with its smaller parishes Archbishop Demetrios responded, “Your Eminence, we don’t close Churches.”
“Whatever we can do, we would love to see the Church revive again past president Paulette Adamis told The National Herald.
The archbishop alluded to the glory days when there were more than 500 members and several regional organizations were based there – on member, Gus Cherevas became AHEPA Supreme President. But he accentuated the present – a brighter future being implied for those who stayed the course.
“It is a great joy to be with you on the first Sunday of the New Year in this historic Church,” and thanked everyone involved including the parish council, the chanter Fotis Papadatos and all the volunteers. “Thank you for coming to be with us today,” he said.
With about 60 members, the parish can’t afford a full-time priest, but they appreciate Fr. Constantine Matthews coming from Connecticut. When he goes on leave a few months a year, the Archdiocese assigns a substitute and Very Rev. Chrysostomos Panos is serving until he returns. On Sunday he too thanked parishioners, friends of the parish and visiting clergy Archdeacon Panteleimon Papadopoulos and Deacon Eleftherios Constantine.
After the Divine Liturgy the hall was filled for the vasilopita cutting. The PC President, linguist and educator Tryfon C. Tzifas, welcomed the guests and thanked the Archbishop, to whom he said “you have touched us deeply and brought us joy.”
While many individuals and families deserve tribute, TNH took the opportunity to speak to representatives of two of them, Adamis and Ted Klingos.
Adamis told TNH that the parish was created in 1935 from a merger of two nearby communities. In 1938 they bought the Lutheran church at the current location, which was remodeled in 1955.
It wasn’t just the information in Adamis’s words that revealed the motivation of the people who preserved the parish, but the tone of her voice.
She might have been talking about the house she actually lived in as a child, and of her nuclear family.
“I was christened in that Church. And I grew up in that Church.”
She has been on the parish council for more than 35 years.
Her parents came from Nafpaktos. Like many from that region her father was a florist and after buying Dorothy’s Flower shop he wrote his mother saying he was ready to be married asked her to find him a bride. He arrived in August, 1955 and was married Stavroula within three weeks.
“They worked side by side in the shop and they were blessed because even though it was an arranged marriage they loved each other as if they were childhood sweethearts.
The family became close to the priest of the time, Father Matthew Papavasiliou, who served for many years. “He was like a grandfather to me,” she said.
Her father served five years as president and she was president for six years and treasurer for another six. Her sister Joann is also very active.
Ted Klingos, a past Trustee of Holy Trinity Cathedral, maintains his ties to the parish mother’s family, the Christopoulos clan from Kalidona in Peloponnesos, helped establish.
Two of his uncles, Bill and Thomas Christ helped unite the two parishes that were manifestations of the Venizelos-Royalist split in the community, and a third uncle, who came later, was instrumental in helping maintain the community.
He and his parents were married there, and Klingos and daughter Anna Marie were baptized there. He did ran the cursus honorum: afternoon Greek School – the parish has a strong program – altar boy, and PC president.
“The church is fortunate to have a number of dedicated people working hard to keep it going.”
There were too many to name, he said, but noted Tzifas and PC vice president Peter Stamos.
The founders’ descendants return – on special Sundays, and Holy Week, and more poignantly, for memorial services for past members – from throughout the Metropolitan Area.
And there are more rays of light.
The young professionals who are drawn the parish’s warmth and legacy were represented by Alexis Lemon-Zakou, who became a member five years ago and was married there. She comes regularly from her new home in Astoria.
Some of the people in the pews came to also honor the late Father Angelo Gavalas, who arrived there as a pastor in the early 1980s. “We loved Farther Angelo deeply,” Adamos said. In the altar there are new processional crosses and fans purchased by the parish and a censor that was bought by her family in memory of Fr. Angelo and his son Harry.
Apropos of this time of resolutions, Archbishop Demetrios highlighted elements in the epistle that constitute valuable guidance in these times of economic anxiety, waves of migrants, and acts of terrorism. Paraphrasing the Second Letter of St. Paul to Timothy, he advised the congregation to be vigilant – alert to everything going on around them and in the world; to be patient in all things; to preach the Gospel of love and justice, that is, to talk to people about Christ; and to take care to complete to perfection the good things one undertakes. “Follow-up,” he said with a smile.
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