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FEBRUARY–MARCH 2011
Direct Archdiocesan District Celebrates Three Hierarchs , Greek Letters NEW YORK – The Greek Letters and the Three Hierarchs celebration served as the focal point of the Jan. 26-27 weekend at Holy Trinity Archdiocesan Cathedral. More than 300 people attended a student awards ceremony and presentation of the Three Hierarchs Award of Excellence on Saturday, the 26th. The event was organized by The Direct Archdiocesan District Education Office Director Maria Makedon. (See related story on this page). At the celebration of The Three Hierarchs on Sunday, Archbishop Demetrios held a Vasilopita cutting for the district Greek school teachers. The program that followed featured a lecture by Despina Prassas, associate professor of theology at Providence College in Rhode Island. Her topic was “Putting Good Education to Good Use: St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great.” Professor Prassas is the daughter of retired priest Fr. George Prassas, former pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Binghamton, N.Y. She holds a Master’s of Divinity degree from Holy Cross School of Theology and a Ph.D. from Washington University. Following her presentation, students of Holy Cross read excerpts from texts authored by the Three Hierarchs. A Byzantine musical interlude featured members of the Holy Cross School of Theology Choir and members of the Archdiocesan Byzantine Choir. Dr. Ioannis Efthymiopoulos, director of the Department of Greek Education, offered an address in Greek. (See page 18). After remarks by Archbishop Demetrios, a reception took place in the Cathedral Center.
Photos by D. PANAGOS
Archbishop Demetrios with the recipients of the Three Hierarchs Award of Excellence. At left of the Archbishop, Consul of Greece Evangelos Kyriakopoulos, Direct Archdiocesan District Office of Education Director Maria Makedon and George Vlikides, education affairs counselor at the Greek Consulate. To the right of His Eminence, Anne Prokop and Cyprus Consul General Koula Sophianou.
Archdiocesan Cathedral Hosts Greek Letters Event by Maria Makedon
In conjunction with the Feast Day of the Three Hierarchs on Jan. 30th and in celebration of Greek Letters, the Direct Archdiocesan District celebrated the Three
Professor Despina Prassas gives a lecture at the January 30th Three Hierarchs celebration.
Members of the Holy Cross and Archdiocesan Byzantine choirs at the Three Hierarchs event.
Hierarchs and Ecumenical Teachers with a series of events that ended with a Divine Liturgy at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Manhattan on Monday, Jan. 31, for the students, teachers, and administrators of the parochial day schools in New York. The celebrations in honor of the Three Hierarchs started on Saturday, Jan. 29, at the Cathedral Conference Center with the students award ceremony. Archbishop Demetrios bestowed the Three Hierarchs Award of Excellence to the students who excelled in the 2010 Comprehensive Examination in Modern Greek. The event was organized by Anne Prokop, principal of the Greek American Institute, Bronx, the mistress of ceremonies. “Today we honor the Three Hierarchs and Ecumenical Teachers, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom, because with their teachings, writings, and life example united harmoniously Christianity with Hellenism,” Mrs Maria. Makedon, director of the Direct Archdiocesan District Office of Education, noted in her welcoming speech. She added “the Three Hierarchs were concerned especially the intellectual growth of children, their upbringing and education.” “And the mission of our day and afternoon schools is to create ethical persons, philhellenes, and persons who are proud for their ancestry. And the schools achieve this goal by offering sound Greek studies programs that emphasize the teaching of the Greek language and Greek Orthodox Christian civilization,” Mrs. Makedon pointed out. Main speaker was Maria Zolotas, board chairwoman of “Stephanos & Areti Cherpelis” Greek Afternoon School at St. Nicholas Church, Flushing. In her speech “Studying Greek Language and Culture - A Pathway for Success,” Mrs. Zolotas advised the students “to preserve the traditions and customs of our culture and above all our Greek Orthodox religion.” A graduate of William Spyropoulos Greek-American School of St. Nicholas, Flushing, Maria Averkiou, spoke on behalf of the honored students and noted “The Greek language is the tool of the magnificent Greek spirit.” Archbishop Demetrios congratulated
MARIA MAKEDON
the students and noted that “the Greek language is irreplaceable.” He added “For each language you learn, you gain a new culture an important tool of thought.” His Eminence expressed his deep thanks to Mrs. Makedon for “her patience and endurance in keeping the Greek Regents Examination, which went through some obstacles in the past.” “Another person could have given up, because the opposition was strong. Mrs. Makedon stayed and continued, and we have these extremely wonderful results,” the Archbishop noted. The program also featured a musical performance by students of the St. Demetrios High School, Astoria, Kaliroi Halkias, Christina Tsangouri and George Vardaros (violin) with Vagelis Haziroglou, their music teacher conducting. Greetings were given by Consul General of Cyprus Koula Sophianou, who said that “Hellenism and Orthodoxy are two interrelated elements that are our tradition and our future.” Evangelos Kyriakopoulos, consul of Greece, conveyed a message from Agi Balta, the consul general of Greece and addressing the students noted that “it is worth every minute you give of your time to study the Greek language.” The event was attended by 300 people, among them the counselor of educational affairs of Greece, George Vlikides, Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Stephanos Cherpelis, Rev. Paul Palesty of St. Nicholas, Flushing and the principals of the community’s schools Athena Krommidas (day) and George Kanellopoulos (afternoon), the president of St. Demetrios Cathedral, Astoria, Kostas Eliades, Esq., Vassiliki Filiotis, president of the Greek Teachers Association “Prometheus”, Stella Kokolis, president of the Federation of Greek Teachers and principals, teachers and parents.