LYNN, MA – Every year the time around Labor Day brings bees to mind in the city of Lynn, MA.
The Church of St. George is a hive of activity in the run up to its annual festival, attended by as many as 3000 people, and the loukoumades are renowned for miles around.

The festival will be held on Friday, Sept. 4 from 4-10 PM and on Sept. 5 from 11 AM to 10 PM.
Anita Rassias, one of the organizers, told the Lynn Daily Item this week, “I’m getting excited…it’s getting crazy around here.”
“It grows every year,” Bill Booras, a parish council member since 1981, told the Item about the festival that began about 50 years ago. He noted as he spoke that “The tents and tables are being set up outside the church, banners are being hung, the driveway is lined with blue and white Greek flags and large Greek figurines are stalking at the gate.”
The men play important parts in the food preparation – many are either restaurateurs or love to cook – but the women are in charge of the baking.
“The men do the food and the ladies do the sweets and all of the pastries at the church,” said Manny Argiros, one of the event’s planners.
The Item reported “The men completed 82 trays of spanakopita, or spinach pie, and 50 trays of pastitsio. They also prepared moussaka and listed the names of the people helping with the pastries: Rassias, Zoe Haskell, Maria Williams, Ellen Argiros, Tina Mosho, Jane Baletsa, Connie Soto, Kathy Moulison, Teddy Yanakakis, Julie Stroumbos, Jeannie Scarmoutzos, Ginny DiVirgilio, Bessie O’Neill, Joanna Katsos, Marianne Spartos, Janice Koskey, Ella Alexander, Joan Vlahos, Maria Zamakis, Penny Kanellos, Claire Ofilos, Georgia Aucone, Barbara Stamos, Panagiota Tagis, Patrice Kotsakis, Anna Poulos, Eleni Katsoulomitis, Vasiliki Kalantzis, Georgia Powell, Elena Kirios, Kathy Andrews, Irene Mamos, Ann Hoomis, Mary Koutsis, Claire Ofilos, Georgia Aucone, Sophia Pentikis, Connie Speridakos, Christine Katsos and Teddy Paragios.
Zoe Haskell said “We started baking the week after the Fourth of July…A lot of Greek pastries are better after time as long as they are stored properly.”
Together, the ladies baked 4,700 koulourakia for the festival. Each one was shaped by hand.
“They also made 1,400 kourambiedes ahead of time,” according to the Item, which also provided descriptions of the items that have been part of Greek-Americans’ consciousness since childhood.

Traditional baklava is festival favorite, but Rassias said “We do baklava sundaes with ice cream….hose are very popular. We sold out of them last year.”
The “kafenion – café” will be dispensing coffee drinks including thick frappes and cookies
Vendors will be purveying toys, Greek jewelry, and plants, and there will be a booth for icons.
Children will be able to enjoy rides and games on Saturday afternoon and Greek folk dancers in full costume will appear throughout the festival.
Fr. George Tsoukalas, who has served as the pastor of since 1997, has blessed almost two decades’ worth of festivals, which are the parish’s biggest annual fundraiser.
Charlie Lambesis, who oversees all the cash flows – he also serves at the treasurer of the parish council – plays a very important role, but he also enjoys the festivities.
Big crowds come to the parish located in downtown Lynn Lambesis, whose grandparents met and married in Lynn around 1912, told The National Herald.
Lambesis, who was basking in the aroma of the baking as he spoke with TNH, said “we have the best loukoumades around – we have a really great recipe.
He also emphasized the festival’s $25,000 grand raffle, with tickets selling for $5. “Sunday night, if they pick the raffle with your name on it you can leave here with a check for $25,000.
DJ Thriller will be spinning Greek and American music on Friday night “and on Saturday and Sunday we have the best Greek band in the area – Orfeas – and they are an awesome ban,” Lambesis said. He also noted the dance groups include The Sons and Daughters of Alexander the Great”
When the participants recover for the working and eating, many will participate in the parish’s annual golf tournament, which will be held September 21.

The post Downtown Lynn Becomes Greektown for Part of Labor Day Weekend appeared first on The National Herald.

CONSTANTINOPLE – Three major ecclesiastical events marking the life and the journey of the Church at the Ecumenical Patriarchate recently took place: The Synaxis of the Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne around the World, the Blessing of the New Ecclesiastical Year known as Indium, and the reorganization of the synthesis of the Patriarchate’s Holy and Sacred Synod.

His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presided at the Synaxis, at the Holy Trinity magnificent church at Taxim Square in Constantinople. More than 130 hierarchs participated, including our own Archbishop Demetrios of America.

The hierarchs of the Metropolises, of the so-called New Lands of Greece, were also invited for the first time to participate in the Synaxis. Up to now only a representative committee was invited to the Synaxis, which in turn, informed the 37 hierarchs archpastoring the Metropolises. It is a unique situation instituted in 1928 with an official Act by Patriarch Vasilios. They belong administratively and synodically to the Autocephalous Church of Greece.

Patriarch Bartholomew explained that he called the Synaxis in order to have the opportunity to meet with the hierarchs in person, emphasizing the dynamics of the communion of persons and to also inform them about the work and challenges that the Mother Church faces.

Actually, the Hieratical Synaxis is not a Synod. Rather, it is an unofficial gathering of the Hierarchy for the purpose of seeing each other, exchanging ideas, and sharing experiences, pastoral challenges, and problems in their perspective Metropolises.

Patriarch Bartholomew made reference to the upcoming Holy and Great Synod of Orthodoxy next year and discussed the problems that arise from time to time on behalf of some local Churches due to the political pressures and nationalist mentalities.

Bartholomew presided over the Service of the beginning of the Ecclesiastical Year and singed the codex of the New Indiums followed by all the hierarchs.

Archimandrite Bartholomew Samaras, the Synod’s Chief Secretary, read the special encyclical issued by Bartholomew about protecting of the environment, which is one of the patriarch’s top priorities. “We suppress nature in such a manner that unforeseeable and undesirable changes occur to the climate and environment, which are negatively affected in their normal functions with consequent implications for life itself,” the encyclical conveyed.

The patriarch also reorganized the Holy Synod by calling the following hierarchs to be on it: Ioannis of Pergamon, Ambrosios of Karpathos and Kasos, Cyril of Imvros and Tenedos, Apostolos of Militos, Isaiah of Denver, Alexios of Atlanta, Nikitas of Dardanelles, Nicholas of Detroit, Theoliptos of Ikonion, Tarasios of Buenos Aires, Cleopas of Sweden and Maximos of Cylibria.

PHOTOS Nicholas Manginas

The post Three Major Events at the Patriarchate appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – Doctors of the World, part of the global Médecins du Monde network (MdM) has announced a $50,000 challenge gift from the Jaharis Family Foundation, Inc. (JFF) to expand MdM’s mobile medical programs in Greece.

Designed to serve vulnerable people in hard to reach areas, the mobile clinics serve children, the uninsured, and the elderly, MdM explained. JFF will match every dollar raised for MdM Greece’s mobile programming, up to $50,000.

“We are enormously thankful to the Jaharis Family Foundation for strengthening MdM Greece’s mobile medical program,” said Miranda Sissons, Doctors of the World USA executive director. “This is a great, practical way for us to double our impact in Greece, at a time when it’s most needed.”

The Greek healthcare system has taken a major hit in the current economic climate. As a result of crisis and austerity policies, state-run hospitals have cut budgets by up to 50 percent and facilities lack basic medical supplies and staff. One quarter of the Greek population lacks medical coverage, and MdM research indicates children’s access to vaccinations has been severely impacted.

In this new environment, MdM programs – which in the past mostly served vulnerable populations, such as undocumented migrants, the uninsured and the homeless – now serve a growing number of Greeks affected by the economic crisis.

MdM has worked in Greece since 1990 to provide primary care, consultations, social services, psychological support, pharmaceuticals and harm reduction programming. Its work focuses especially on migrant, homeless, youth and aging populations.

In 2015, the JFF has also provided a gift of $250,000, in addition to the challenge gift, to strengthen MdM’s mobile medical clinics and polyclinics. Together these initiatives serve more than 80,000 people per year, providing essential vaccinations, medication, primary health care and psychological support.

The Foundation has generously supported MdM programs for children and elderly populations in Greece since 2012. The challenge gift runs until December 31.

Doctors of the World USA | 222 Broadway, 19th Floor | New York, NY 10038

ABOUT DOCTORS OF THE WORLD

Doctors of the World USA is a non-profit that is part of the global MdM network. Médecins du Monde network. It provides emergency and longterm medical care to vulnerable people, while fighting for equal access to healthcare worldwide. Founded in France in 1980, the MdM cares for the most vulnerable through 350 programs in 80 countries, including in the United States. For detailed information on access to medical care in Europe, see MdM’s 2015 report, Access to Healthcare for Children and Pregnant Women in Europe.

Those wishing to donate may contact Fraser Mooney at fraser@doctorsoftheworld.org or visit bit.ly/Nai2Greece.

More information is available at doctorsoftheworld.org.

The post Jaharis Foundation Puts Up 50K Challenge Gift to Doctors of the World appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – Greek-Americans nationwide are getting excited by word that concrete is pouring and construction has begun on the St. Nicholas National Shrine at Ground Zero.

“Over the coming weeks and months we will see the walls rise. It’s going to be quite a sight to behold,” said Father Evagoras Constantinides, the Archdiocese’s spokesman for the Shrine.

His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, Jerry Dimitriou, Executive Director of Administration at the Archdiocese, and Father Alexander Karloutsos, Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, who is spearheading the fundraising, will observe the progress and determine whether the Feast of St. Nicholas can be celebrated on or near the site this year,” Fr. Evagoras said.

The New York Times noted that “St. Nicholas has a mission different from any other building on the site,” and quoted the Archbishop: “The purpose is to project something that will open a window to Eternity.”

Dimitriou told The National Herald “we are now on a path that will take us to the summer of 2017,” a realistic estimate he said, given possible weather on other hiccups.

Pictures of the construction are spreading all over the world through social media and progress can be followed at Stnicholaswtc.org, where individuals can make donations to the cause.

Andrew Veniopoulos is coordinating much of the effort out of Fr. Karloutsos’ office, especially the fundraising.

“We have pledges as of today $37.7 million,” he said.

A number of major donations were acknowledged at the ground blessing held October 18, 2014, which were added to the contributions that came in from as far as Bari, Italy and Greece soon after 9/11. It is expected that more large gifts will be finalized over the next few months.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation has informed TNH that it is committed to a donation of $5 million upon the condition that the remainder of the money required for construction is in place.

The hard construction costs are now estimated at $35 million, down from an earlier announcement.

The period around St. Nicholas’ December 6 feast day has been designated the time for parishes to hold fundraisers in the spirit of Archbishop Demetrios’ desire that people across the country share in the endeavor along with the major donors and the local parish.

The effort is being organized by Bishop Andonios, Chancellor of the Archdiocese, and Dimitriou estimates $500,000 has been raised to date, including portions of proceeds from Greek festivals and a concert in Modesto, CA that raised $30,000.

The Church of Our Savior in Rye and the Kimisis church of the Hamptons in New York have made substantial donations.

Nicholas Koutsomitis, who is the architect supervising the project – Santiago Calatrava is the design architect – reflected the state of mind of the entire team: “We are elated, absolutely elated by the fact that concrete is actually pouring on our site.”

Koutsomitis explained that the concrete forms are at a height of about three feet – is the interstitial space between the concrete platform built by the Port Authority and the church floor that will house the building’s mechanical equipment.

“The entire team has been working day and night for the construction to have been able to begin when it did…there are a lot of people involved – it’s a very complex team of people, including his firm, Koutsomitis Architects PC, Calatrava’s office, construction managers, structural and mechanical engineers, AV, lighting and security consultants,” he said.

By mid-October the Church itself will begin to take shape as the concrete walls rise and the steel dome modelled on Hagia Sophia’s in Constantinople should be visible by next Spring.

It is hoped that the exterior marble which will be back-lit to produce a unique glow-in-the-dark appearance, will begin to be affixed to the building’s outer shell – by the middle of 2016.

The marble, which will come from Mount Pentelikon, the source of the Parthenon’s stone, will not only be mined in Greece. The pieces, which will express a complex geometry, will be cut and shaped in Athens also.

“They will be three dimensionally carved from machines,” Koutsomitis said, and the Archdiocese is very pleased that in that way they project will provide Greece with some economic stimulus.

Koutsomitis informed TNH that there was a change in the builder of the project from Turner Construction to the international firm of Skanska, which he said was a good decision.

Skanska is one of the firms building the complex PATH rail station at Ground Zero, and it constructed the architect’s building at the Florida Polytechnic University successfully and under budget, Dimitriou said.

Dimitriou noted that “Turner was handling pre-construction matters and they did a good job getting us to where we were in November 2014, but then the committee and others at the Archdiocese decided we needed to make a change that would drive the cost down,” especially regarding the marble outer shell.

“That is the single most complex and costly component of the Church itself… so the Archdiocese reached out to others,” he said.

Dimitriou told the Times that Calatrava has also “done a lot to assist in keeping the budget down.”

The crowning glory of a Byzantine Church are its icons and while Archbishop Demetrios is focused on the building, planning for the iconography program is moving forward. He has already spoken to iconographers based in American, most of whom have offered their services gratis given the importance of the project. In the coming months His Eminence will speak to more artists in Greece. He hopes that all the icons will be in place when St. St. Nicholas opens – the icons in the renderings do not reflect any decisions about what the interior will look like.

Dimitriou said the budget for hard construction costs is now $35 million, down from the previously announced $40 million. “We have made some changes in the last few months that have generated significant savings and we continue to try to drive that cost down.”

He said many people have come forward with in-kind donations that will cause that number to drop further.

“Peter Pappas, founder and CEO of P.J. Mechanical has donated the HVAC system and related work – that amounts to a $1.5 million contribution, Dimitriou said.

Pappas also serves on the construction advisory committee, which includes Manny Velivasakis, Ted Moudis, top people in the building industry who have been advising and helping us with the decision-making.

“It’s been a great effort and a lot of people have taken an interest in participating,” Dimitriou said.

The post New St. Nicholas Begins To Rise appeared first on The National Herald.

TARPON SPRINGS, FL – Earlier this summer, Father Anastasios(Taso) Gounaris left his wife and his parish – the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Tarpon Springs, FL – without any notice, except an email to the Parish Council on Wednesday, Jun. 10, the eve of his departure.

When I read the story in The National Herald (“The Rev. Gounaris Flees His Post, Jun. 20), I was stunned. To clarify, I edit all stories before they appear in the English edition. But I happened to be on vacation that week, and so I learned the news just like most TNH readers did – by reading about it on the front page.

The reason I was shocked was because a year earlier, I interviewed Fr. Gounaris in Tarpon Springs (“Former Cathedral Dean Gounaris, Now in Florida, Tells His Side of the Story,” Aug. 9, 2014), and he considered himself very blessed to have landed in such a wonderful place.

He wasn’t cut out to be a big city priest, he said, and so Tarpon Springs was the ideal place for him.

He was particularly open to speaking with me, even though mutual acquaintances who arranged the interview expressed skepticism that he would speak to The National Herald, because the newspaper reported on numerous controversial matters involving him when he served in New York City and before that, in Indianapolis, IN.

Fr. Gounaris in substantial detail denied all those allegations, and focused on ministering in what seemed would be a permanent new home. And it wasn’t just his words that were convincing, it was the actions of those around him. As we sat having lunch in a popular Greek restaurant on the Sponge Docks – Mykonos – one of the few frequented not only by tourists, but also by locals, a number of parishioners greeted him as they passed our table. Their words, and facial expressions, evoked warmth and appreciation. And personal friends of mine who live in Tarpon told me “he’s doing a good job, the people really liked him.”
Whatever his problems seemed to have been, it looked like Tarpon Springs gave him a fresh start: a win-win for him, and for the community. But it was not to be.

WHAT HAPPENED?

The National Herald, told of numerous rumors about where Fr. Gounaris disappeared to and under what circumstances, decided to investigate. Rumors included that he left his wife penniless and headed to Crete, and even that he went there with another man. But St. Nicholas Parish Council President Nikitas Manias told TNH otherwise.
“Yes, from what I hear Fr. Gounaris is in Crete,” he said, “but he didn’t leave his wife penniless. He didn’t give her any warning that he was leaving, but he left money for her.”

As to his whereabouts and with whom, Manias says he also heard that Gounaris is in Crete – based on accounts of people who saw him there – and that he is with a companion, but definitely female, not male.
That he really is in Crete seems valid, considering his Facebook page now lists that as his place of dwelling. But whether he is there alone, or with a companion, remains unsubstantiated rumor.

The rumor most soundly refuted is that Gounaris took all the money and ran. Manias knows that Gounaris didn’t – that he did in leave money for his wife – firsthand, because Gounaris’ wife, Presbytera Maria, stayed with Manias and his family for six weeks, upon returning from New York City, where she was visiting when Gounaris left. “It was my wife who called her and told her the news,” about Gounaris departing email, he said. Presbytera then moved back to Indianapolis to live with her daughter.

Manias also emphasized that is apparent Gounaris planned his departure ahead of time – that it was not a spontaneous act. For instance, he was seen taking personal belongings out of his office as if he were moving out – and when asked about it, he would make excuses as to why.
Manias emphasized that everything Gounaris took with him was his own personal property – that he did not steal anything that belonged to the Church.

The Sunday before his departure, Fr. Gounaris delivered a cryptic sermon about “the first and last liturgy,” which is retrospect seems like a coded way of saying goodbye.
In his email to the Parish Council, Gounaris expressed regret for deciding to depart so suddenly, but says he did so after a lot of “soul searching.”

Manias found it odd when earlier in the day on June 10, Gounaris did not meet with him. “Our Parish Council meetings are usually on Thursdays, and he and I would confer the day before. In fact, after Church [the previous Sunday) I said to him: ‘see you on Wednesday.’”

In his departing email, Gounaris also advised that any parishioners in need of a priest should contact Fr. James Rousakis, who has been serving in the interim. Manias told TNH that a new priest will be appointed sometime later this year – in or after October.

Manias said “the chapter on Father Gounaris in Tarpon Springs is now closed,” but he did not sound bitter or angry. “While he was here, he did a good job,” he said, echoing the sentiments of numerous other parishioners.

The post More About Fr. Anastasios Gounaris’ Mysterious Disappearance appeared first on The National Herald.

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ALBANY, NY – “Never Forget” is not only a reminder that something bad once happened, it is a call to action, and the ladies of the Philoptochos of St. Sophia in Syracuse, NY are doing their part.

The parish’s philanthropic organization held a bake sale from September 11-13 to raise funds for the St. Nicholas National Shrine that has recently begun to rise at Ground Zero.

“It’s all about giving back to St. Nicholas which is a Greek Orthodox Church in NYC that was completely destroyed by the 911 attack. St. Sophia, here in Syracuse, are selling their famous dishes like Honey Puffs and Baklava all for an amazing cause,” CNYcentral.com reported.

“I remember going to the office following that and we were glued to the T.V. that day. It was just unbelievable,” said Elizabeth Steinberg.

“A lot of people went there, not just Greek Orthodox, but people who worked in the area that would go in and light a candle. To just have a moment of peace in this frantic world we live. It really brought solace…Rebuilding is new life. It’s a new coming, a new life with even more meaning. When you have something taken away from you, you really start appreciating everything a lot more,”  Steinberg continued.

The post Syracuse Ladies of Philoptochos Raise Funds for St. Nick’s appeared first on The National Herald.

WYCKOFF, NJ – The Greek Festival of the Church of St. Nicholas in Wyckoff, NJ is back and better than eve after a four-year hiatus. The army of volunteers is led by Festival Chairman Evans Agrapidis, who is also the Parish Council President.
The inaugural festival was held in 1970 and this year it will be held on Church grounds Sept. 25-27, with the blessing – literally and figuratively, of Father Basil C. Gikas, the pastor.
Committee member Christina Carmichael to the Wyckoff Suburban news that a new generation of volunteers “stepped up” to cook, bake and organize this year’s festival.
“Many of the people who ran the festival are now older and needed to teach and pass the tradition on to a new generation of volunteers…We are excited that the community can once again enjoy Greek food and traditions,” she said.
One innovation is a tent dedicated to take-out food orders and there is a new menu.
There will be live music and “The festival will include performances by both the junior and senior GOYAN Greek dance group, performing on Friday and Saturday at 7 and 9 PM, respectively; amusement rides; a flea market and a Greek taverna featuring traditional foods and wines including pastichio, spanakopita and moussaka,” the Suburban News reported.
Carmichael said she and her three daughters, Cassandra, 12, Nicoletta, 10 and Adriana, 8 helped the Philoptochos make koulourakia.
Nicoletta said, “It’s really hard to twist the dough into a braid,”
Margaret Kolovos, who is 18, “It is our church recipe. We use sweet butter, not margarine or olive oil, in our koulourakia recipe…We egg wash the cookie and do not add sesame seeds.”
Alexandra Pflager, who has been volunteering for 10 years, was on quality control duty, checking each tray before it was sent to the oven, inspected each tray of hand-twisted koulourakia cookies for conformity before baking them for 20 minutes.
“During the preparations, women will throw out Greek words or phrases and teach others who don’t know the language…We learn words and share tradition,” she said.
Claire Melissas loves working with multiple generations. “I am happy a new generation is willing to help continue the Greek traditions and the festival,” she said.
Parish council member Ted Vittas who has roots in Roumeli is very excited about the festival’s return. He has volunteered for it – he served as its chairman five times, ever since he joined the community in 1990 after growing up in Jersey City.
Vittas said guests will enjoy the return of the ouzerie. “Some people call it the ‘octopus tent’ because they aslo serve delicious, fresh grilled ‘htapodi’ along with other liqueurs and wines.
The organizers consciously created a lot of tent space, giving the event more of an open-air feel than most festivals.
“We have grown so much over the years that we have outgrown the indoor facilities.

The post Greek Festival of St. Nicholas in Wyckoff Returns After Hiatus appeared first on The National Herald.

BOSTON – Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (HCHC) started the new academic year with a new President Rev. Christopher Metropoulos and a larger number of students.

This year, the entire HCHC student body of Hellenic College and Holy Cross is 187, up 20 from last year. The freshmen class at Hellenic College is 36 new students and 34 for Holy Cross.

Fr. Metropoulos told TNH that “next semester we are going to have 200 students and by next fall we anticipate to have between 230 and 250 students.” He appeals to the Greek-American community to send students to HCHC. “I would like to see at least two children from each parish to come here to study, one to Hellenic College and the other to Holy Cross.”

His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America officiated at the Great Vespers at Holy Cross Chapel of the Theological School on the evening of September 13 marking the official beginning of the new academic year.

His Eminence spoke to the students and the entire congregation about the symbolism and the salvific meaning of the cross by analyzing theologically an idiomelon hymn of the Sacred Service of the exaltation of the holy cross.

At the end of the Vesper Service, the archbishop also officiated at the special Service called rasoforia, meaning cassock wearing to the senior class of the Theological School, whose members will eventually become priests. He told the senior class that “the cassock is the most sacred garment that someone can wear because it has been wore by holy men, martyrs, monastics, bishops and priests of the Orthodox Church” and he urged the students “to wear it with reverence and honor because it is a special privilege for those who wear it.”

Demetrios told TNH about directives he has given to Metropoulos: “Emphasis should be given to the Orthodox Church and the Gospel to a country which is country of Evangelization; it is not an Orthodox country by tradition. We want the Hellenic element to be as strong as possible because Hellenism is a universal value and it relates to the Greek Language and Civilization. By traveling everywhere in America, I am surprised by the big numbers of people who speak Greek even in the distant areas such as California. We are a bilingual Church.”

Demetrios emphasized the benefits of knowing the Greek language by saying that “if a person speaks French as a second language, he or she does not benefit a lot, except if to study French Literature. But a person who knows the Greek language has a key that no other language has to open the Theological sources.”

Demetrios added that Metropoulos “has a lot of enthusiasm and also a very good relationship with the priests, which is a very positive element because the parishes will support HCHC in every way.”

SECOND MARRIAGES

TNH asked Archbishop Demetrios about whether the Church would permit a second marriage to priests in case of spousal death or divorce, to which he replied: “we have discussed the issue many times in our Eparchial Synod here, but also I brought the issue up to His All Holiness the Patriarch. He said ‘I have written about the issue to the Primates of the other Orthodox Churches. Some of them answered that we should discuss the issue, but others said we do not even to disuses it.’

“The issue was even discussed at the recent Synaxis of the Hierarchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople and it may come up at the Great Synod of Orthodoxy next year 2016 in Constantinople,” Demetrios added.

Speaking about the support of the parishes to the Theological School, the Archbishop said “many parishes can afford to give to the School $20,000 annually. If two hundred parishes do that, it is going to be a huge help.”

The post HCHC Starts Again With New President appeared first on The National Herald.

CHEYENNE, WY – The members of the Saints Constantine and Helen Church have been preparing for their parish’s annual fundraising food festival for weeks.

Thousands will go to the Frontier Park Exhibition Hall, September 18 and 19 for the celebration that features food, folk dancing and a rummage sale.

The main thing the visitors will be looking for is food, of course.  “The expected fare, like gyros and Greek salads,” the Tribune Eagle reported, adding “And if you have an adventurous palate, there’s the pastitsio, a lasagna-like dish layered with Greek-style macaroni, seasoned beef, mizithra cheese and topped with a Bechamel sauce and sometimes fried kalamari. And afterwards, you can dive into dessert.”

Nick Panopoulos, who has been a member of the church for 58 years, told the Tribune Eagle that “ though many of the treats they’ll be selling were made right at the church, some are shipped in from Chicago.”

The post Cheyenne Greek Festival to Feed and Delight Thousands Sept. 18-19 appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The historical community of the Holy Trinity of New Rochelle recently purchased two adjacent parcels in order to create a recreation area for youth, with the ultimate goal of creating a retirement home.

Thanks to the generosity of two anonymous parishioners who contributed $1 million, the purchase was achieved.

This is the first major project in 25 years for the community, since the facilities and social hall was completed, and has parishioners excited.

Parish Council President Dino Yotides said this purchase points to the future and is a legacy for Father Nick Anctil, who believes the home would be in furtherance of the Church extending a loving hand to its senior parishioners.

When Fr. Anctil learned of the million-dollar pledges, Yotides said, he had tears in his eyes.

The pledges also include a fund for the completing the church’s iconography, an effort spearheaded by Presbytera Kay, wife of the late Fr. Peter N. Kyriakos

FESTIVAL

Inclement weather threatened far too low attendance for the Church’s annual festival, from September 10 through 13, but eventually the weather improved, as did attendance, Yotides told TNH.

The festival was replete with traditional foods and desserts, live music, and an area for children to play.

It was a success due to the parishioners’ hard and dedicated work.

The post New Rochelle’s Holy Trinity Buys Plot for Retirement Home appeared first on The National Herald.

By Michael Kakias

STATEN ISLAND – The Holy Trinity – St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Staten Island held its annual festival September 11 to 13 It is the largest festival of any kind in the borough. As the opening day coincided with the 14^th anniversary of 9/11, the organizers held a memorial service for the victims at 8PM that evening. It was an emotional moment as the music and dancing stopped and the mood turned solemn – to honor the victims of that unforgettably horrific attack. The Church’s spiritual leader, Fr. Nicholas Petropoulakos told TNH: “the festival gives us the opportunity to show the world who we are, to show our culture and our civilization.” Plenty of non-Greeks attend as well, he said. “They come for the food and pastries – they love Greek cuisine.”Fr. Petropoulakos added that part of the Festival’s revenue is donated to the families of police officers killed in the line of duty.The festiveness of the event, juxtaposed with the honor and solemnity of fallen victims – uniformed and civilians alike – renders Staten Island’s largest festival truly a one-of-a-kind experience.

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One of the people who lived very close to the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 was the leader of our Greek Orthodox Church in America, Archbishop Demetrios. In the ensuing days, weeks, months… and beyond, the archbishop became a source of comfort to those who lost their loved ones in that horrific tragedy. Demetrios remembers the details quite vividly, and he shares those memories with The National Herald. “We were in Boston the day before, September 10, for the Constantine G. Karamanlis Chair in Hellenic and European Studies at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University,” the archbishop began. “Archdeacon Panteleimon and Michael Jaharis were there as well. We spent the night in Boston, and in the morning we went down to the hotel lobby to check out. That’s when we saw on the television screen that one of the Twin Towers was on fire. ‘Was this an accident?’ we thought. But before we had a chance to ponder, a second plane hit the other Tower. Clearly, this was a terrorist attack. And the airport was shut down. “Mr. Jaharis suggested that we drive to New York but the roads were closed. He offered his home to Connecticut as a place to sleep for the night, and the next day, with assistance and advice from the police, we were able to make our way back to New York and headed straight to Ground Zero, along with Fr. Alexander Karloutsos. We were able to have a frontline view of the rubble that was once the Twin towers. I remember it being a sunny day, but there was a blur in the air, a peculiar burning smell, and even a burning taste in our mouth of the mixture of dust, cement, and perhaps remnants of the three thousand bodies – all having been pulverized.” Demetrios continued: “We began a Trisagion, at which point a group of soldiers arrived. One approached me and asked if we would join them for one, big prayer, and we did. We hoped that we would be able to save some of the men and women who had been inside the Twin Towers – what we did not know at the time is that they were all dead.” The archbishop was then approached by Police Lieutenant John Kassimatis, injured and bloodied from his attempts to rescue any survivors. He said to Demetrios: “I’ve been searching all night for my brother-in-law, who surely must be dead.” The archbishop, in turn, asked: “How are you so certain he is dead?” To which Kassimatis replied: “Because he never would have left the building until he made sure every single person in there had evacuated, and since we know that not everyone had evacuated, then surely he must have remained inside as well.” Meanwhile, Demetrios continued, “we knew that our own St. Nicholas Church was completely destroyed as well. He was asked by a journalist whether the horror and devastation made his lose his faith in God, to which Demetrios replied: “as a child I experienced the German occupation and bombing, seeing corpses in the street, and so I am familiar with this terrible image of mass death. As I watch this explosion of hatred, I see the rescue efforts and the support, and so I also see an explosion of live, and this is our hope.” A CHANGED AMERICA Demetrios shared his own personal experience with post- 9/11 America, particularly in terms of a heightened emphasis on security. “Thanks to Mr. Kassimatis, when I travel, I usually don’t have to go through all of the security clearances that everyone else does. And I have yet to be asked to remove my Raso (religious garb). But I do have to take off my engolpion – medallion, because it contains metal. “We also see heightened security at bridges, subway stations, etc., and we pray to God not to allow another attack to happen, though such a possibility is not out of the question.” BUSH AT GROUND ZERO President Bush visited Ground Zero on September 14, on which the Greek Orthodox Celebrate Tou Stavrou – the Feast of the Cross. Demetrios returned, and leaders of various other religions were there, awaiting the president. It was a rainy day, and so the mounds and mounds of ashes had turned everything into black mud. “There were lines of police officers and firefighters, tough, brave, men, but they were so moved by the experience they were in tears,” Demetrios said. “The crowd had squeezed everyone so tightly, that President Bush had room only to stand on one leg. I said: ‘can you please make some room so that the president can walk on two legs?’ “I also asked that bulldozers please not be used to excavate the site where the St. Nicholas Church building crumbled, as there were presumably sacred items amid the rubble. ‘Do not worry,’ I was told. ‘The excavation will be treated with the care given to archaeological sites.’ Sure enough, the work was done with brush and hammer, manually, not with bulldozers. But nothing was recovered.” NEW CHURCH Archbishop Demetrios described the years of difficulties involved in the reconstruction of the St. Nicholas Church, which TNH has reported in detail at every turn. But on this day, he also looked forward, emphasizing that reconstruction of the Church was moving forward as planned. “They will proceed quickly,” he said. “It should be completed in about 18 months.”

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CORONA, N.Y. – The Transfiguration parish in Corona finds itself in turmoil yet again, resulting in the resignation of Parish Council President Penny Viennas, a New York City police officer.

Viennas submitted her resignation on September 20 after a heated confrontation with parish priest George Anastasiou – who is also a police chaplain – on parish matters, in the presence of parishioners, during the coffee hour after Sunday Liturgy.

Viennas wrote in her resignation letter that “as of tonight I am stepping down as President of the Parish Council due to family and work obligations. I will remain on the Board to finish out my term.”

TNH has learned that parish documents and also minutes of Council meetings are missing.

There has been talk among parishioners, and also other Greeks in the Greater New York area, about the payment the Transfiguration Church gave to singer Petros Gaitanos from Greece, for three days of chanting during Holy Week last year, and also regarding a concert in New York he gave organized by the Church, the funds of which were to go to the Greek Children’s Fund.

TNH asked Gaitanos about these matters but he refused to disclose how much money he received, or whether he reported it to Greek authorities as well as to the IRS – to the latter issue, he told TNH “you shouldn’t care.”

Fr. Anastasiou, who told TNH that “it is the policy of the Parish Council not to talk to the press about Council issues,” denied that he and Viennas had a heated discussion on September 20, but acknowledged that the Council is comprised of only six members, instead of the 18 that the parish charter requires. As to the issues regarding Gaitanos’ payment, he said: “I am not an accountant, I don’t know.”

EMAIL WARS

In an email to Anastasiou and copied to Parish Council members, Viennas who did not reply to TNH’s request for comment, made mention of TNH’s interview with Anastasiou, which was printed in TNH’s sister publication, Ethnikos Kyrix-National Herald.

She said Anastasiou’s interview basically threw her and the rest of the Board “under the bus. I never picked up the phone (when TNH called for comment) because you all know how I feel about the press, but I have to say, Fr. George, your interview was not even close to the truth. I suggest you tell the Board the real reason I stepped down.”

Viennas also stated in the email that she and Anastasiou had a heated argument, indeed, and demands a public apology.

Anastasiou, in turn, replied to Viennas’ email – in which he provided some details, though they remain vague, about a waiver he attempted to generate on Viennas’ behalf to allow her as a city employee to do work for the Church. Anastasiou copied the Parish Council members on the email. “I’m sorry that we can’t see eye to eye on this issue,” he began. “That being said, I’ll again offer some facts, which I hope might put things in perspective.

“I spoke to you three times after our conversation and I apologized for raising my tone, even though you did the same. I also further reached out to you another two times during the week but you have not returned my calls and texts.

“As for the real reason you resigned: I received a call Friday inquiring about article 16.1 and 16.2 of the lease “conflict of interest” and was told to look into it ASAP. I read the clause and called you so we can go to legal together. You told me you left work, so I went by myself since the chaplain office is right next door to legal. I spoke to them about getting you a waiver with generalities and they told me that a city employee in fact does need a waiver.

“ONLY at that point did I give your name because they promised me it’s no problem to get you a waiver because according to lease, you can’t have any involvement in this lease or even be on the Board, for that fact. It’s not like I went to report you; I went to legal to get you a waiver to protect you and the community.”

A few hours later, Viennas responded: “First of all, when you called me, not one time did you mention to me anything pertaining about the lease or my involvement. Again, distorting the truth Father! Please give me some credit here: after all, I have been a cop for eighteen years to your one year as a chaplain. I think I know the Patrol Guide better than you do.

“Again, you are misleading the Board as you misled me on Sunday (Sept. 20). I did not want to do this over an email, but here we go! You chose to tell me in front of the Board that you saved my —, my job, and my pension. That was your way of not wanting to upset me, I guess. You said I would lose my job, go to jail and pay a fine. That I should have never been involved in the school talks. Wrong again, Father! This is why we hired a consulting firm, to which I fully disclosed that I was city employee.

“Also, you misinformed me that I shouldn’t have even signed the consultant’s or broker’s contract and let me not put in an email how you recommended I deal with that. You painted such a tragic picture and that you were my friend and you were going to take care of it. But if all this was true, you chose to wait 48 hours and withheld this information for me only to scare me in front of the Board as if I had committed something illegal. That’s the perception you gave everyone.

“After consulting with a PBA lawyer,” she added, “it was confirmed that no misconduct took place here and I have every right to represent the church. It is a nonprofit organization and I am a volunteer.”

Viennas concluded: “your behavior on Sunday was despicable. I wonder: would you speak to your wife in this manner? Sunday, I saw a side of you that I never expected in a million years. I am flabbergasted.”

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NEW YORK – Rev. George Passias, 68, presiding priest at St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in the Upper Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights in New York City, is embroiled in a sex scandal with Ethel Bouzalas, to whom he has referred as his “spiritual daughter.” Rev. Passias has impregnated Bouzalas, 45, who has been his close associate for years. Both are married and with children.

Bouzalas’ name was first revealed publicly by the New York Post in a June 1, 2013 article.

TNH has obtained irrefutable evidence that Passias has carried on sexual relations with Bouzalas. Specifically, that they would often frequent the Courtesy Motel in Fort Lee, NJ – as “husband and wife.” Other evidence, including photographs and video footage, shows the couple going to the Countryside Hotel in Cold Spring, NY, and dining at Cliff’s Steak House in Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has suspended Passias from every liturgical, pastoral, and administrative ministry.

Archbishop Demetrios of America, expressed to TNH his “deep sorrow for this grievous event” and added that “the Church will take all the necessary measures for this case, according to the law of God.”

Several attempts by TNH to communicate with Passias and Bouzalas were unsuccessful. We called St. Spyridon but we were told that neither Passias nor Bouzalas were there; Parish Council President Steve Papadatos did not respond to TNH’s request for comment.

Rev. Passias was the Archdiocesan Chancellor during Archbishop Spyridon’s tenure, and is the beloved spiritual son of Ephraim, the priest-monk who left Mount Athos to come to the United States in the early 1990s and established monasteries here, essentially creating a fundamentalist movement within the Greek Orthodox Church..

Passias often organized “pilgrimages” with buses going to Ephraim’s monasteries, filled with hundreds of parishioners. He publicly appeared wearing his anteri (inner cassock), with long hair and a long beard, and also a kosposhoini, presenting himself as spiritual and traditionalist.

BROOKLYN BEGINNINGS

Passias met Bouzalas in Brooklyn while pastoring at the Three Hierarchs Church. She was converted to Orthodoxy, and according to the Post article “Passias baptized her while she wore a bikini,” giving her the name Euthalia.

TNH has learned that Bouzalas’ husband is Greek-American, the president of a construction company, and that as of late he has been ill and was hospitalized.

After huge rifts in the Three Hierarchs parish during Passias’ tenure there, the Archdiocese transferred him to St. Spyridon, where he has served for almost ten years.

When he arrived at the Washington Heights church, Passias brought Bouzalas and Papadatos along. The latter became Parish Council President, a position he holds to this day.

Passias appointed Bouzalas Parish Treasurer and also School Principal. No Parish Council elections took place at St. Spyridon – due to lack of candidates.

At Passias’ directive, the parish undertook loans of $3.5 million to renovate its buildings.

Passias, who used the Sacrament of Confession and his teachings about spirituality for many years to attract followers who became his “army of spiritual children,” has already left New York, to visit Ephraim at St. Anthony’s Monastery in Florence, AZ. Abbot Paisios of the Monastery did not respond to TNH’s request for comment.

PASSIAS’ EMAIL

On September 28, Passias sent the following email to his followers, in which he does not mention the extramarital affair and pregnancy, or his whereabouts.

“My Beloved Spiritual Children in Christ Jesus our Lord:

“Today I share with you a very difficult and trying period in my priestly life.

“The time has come for me to resign from the active ministry for personal and health reasons. Now I will dedicate myself to the repentance that I have tried to preach and share on behalf of our Lord. At the direction of my spiritual father, the Elder Ephraim, I will now fade out of this world for a considerable time according to God’s will. He has chosen for me according to my multitudinous sins and shortcomings, that I should retire and follow the way of silence, prayer, fasting, and utter devotion to our Lord. Please do not ask where I am going and where I will be. Then, it would not be possible for me to fulfill what is my lot.

“It is immeasurably difficult for me to direct you to seek through prayer and vigilance, another spiritual father who will be able to address your needs with love, truth, and conviction for the betterment of your souls. God will provide. But you must also do the due diligence by seeking another Father, and then after prayer, choosing him as your spiritual guide and father. Think not that I will forget you! Never! I have already entered your names to be commemorated every day in the Holy Liturgy forever!

“I am very grateful to the Lord for granting me to be a spiritual father to you, and have tried to do the best that I could to do in that role making myself as available as time and health permitted.

“I will always love you through prayer and in my heart together with your family.

“Please pray for me and Presvytera Mary, and my family, I implore you.

“In His Abiding Love,

“Father George G. Passias.”

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The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America issued a statement on October 6 regarding the suspension from “any and all priestly activities” of Fr. George Passias, until recently the pastor of the Church of St. Spyridon in the Upper Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights.

The full text of the statement follows:

NEW YORK – In recent days, with heavy heart we have been confronted with a most regrettable matter involving a member of our Clergy, Rev. Fr. George Passias, and an adult female parishioner. We acknowledge the expected reaction of the faithful to feel deeply hurt and utterly disappointed, and the serious danger of scandalization. At the same time we know that the only one who walked on the face of this earth and was sinless was our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We assure the faithful that we are painfully aware of what has occurred and has so grievously impacted the life of our Archdiocese and community. As a result, the Archdiocese has already initiated the ecclesiastically appropriate procedures, starting with the suspension of the involved clergyman from any and all priestly activities.

As with any difficulty, these moments allow us the opportunity to truly demonstrate our Faith in the response we offer. We ought to feel sorry for those who allowed themselves to fall into such a grievous state and pray for them and their families who have been deeply hurt by their actions.  We also pray for the faithful, especially the young people of our community, whose faith has been shaken by what they have seen and read in the media. On the other hand we know that our Church in America has been abundantly blessed with devoted and pious clergy who truly labor in a Christ-like manner to proclaim the message of the gospel and to minister to the people of God.

We pray that the almighty God, a God of mercy, justice and truth, will send down His Holy Spirit and grant sincere repentance to those directly involved and healing to those who have been impacted by their actions.

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NEW YORK – Ethel Bouzalas, the woman identified as the mistress of Fr. George Passias according to various sources, including a videotape of their affair, and which resulted in the Archdiocese banning Passias, who was the priest at the St. Spyridon Church in the Upper Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights, from pastoral duties, took $30,000 from the parish before she left, according to documents obtained by The National Herald.

Bishop Andonios of Phasiane, the Archdiocesan Chancellor, emailed Bouzalas urging her to return the money or else the parish will report her to the police.

“On Thursday evening [Oct. 8],” Bishop Andonios wrote, “I had the opportunity to meet with the members of the Parish Council and was informed that you voluntarily told [Parish Council President] Steve [Papadatos] that you took $30,000 in cash, which you felt you were entitled to since it represented funds which you and your husband had given the School to cover expenses.

“Ethel, if indeed these funds were ‘lent’ to the School, then I will be the first to pressure the community to repay you, but before doing so, I need to ask that some backup documentation please be presented. Otherwise, there are those who will accuse you of stealing these funds, which will only compound what has already appeared in the press.

Clearly, this was not your intent since of your own volition you shared that you had taken the monies. Moreover, in my office you stated that of all the accusations (including misuse of funds) that had been made, only the one about your relationship with Father [Passias] was true.”

Andonios also wrote that “I am sure you appreciate that the Parish Council has a fiduciary responsibility and unless this issue is resolved, they will have no option other than to report it to the authorities. Let’s please try to resolve this amicably and before it goes any further.”

Andonios also recommended that Bouzalas seek help and offered the Archdiocese to assume the cost: “We would urge you to seek immediate professional help and, if you wish, we can assist you with locating a counselor and covering the cost. We also strongly encourage you to seek spiritual counseling and are here to help with that as soon as you are ready. In the meanwhile, I will keep you in my prayers.

May our loving Lord bless and lift you up during this most difficult time in your life.”

Papadatos told TNH last week that there are no financial improprieties at St. Spyridon. Bouzalas did not respond to TNH’s request for comment.

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NEW YORK – Alex Prodes, a 53-year-old former Greek Orthodox priest (who asked to be returned to the status of layman), lives on his Social Security disability income, two years ago tried to kill himself.

The divorced father of two – he sees his children only twice a year – referring to his failed suicide attempt asked his doctor: “why didn’t I die?”

Prodes didn’t want to live anymore. He says that in 1979, 17 years old and the leader of the altar boys at the Evangelismos Church in Easton, PA, Prodes was sexually abused by Archimandrite Stanley Adamakis, and it was that abuse that led to Prodes’ emotional downfall, culminating in the act of trying to take his own life.

SERIAL PEDOPHILE

Adamakis had a history of homosexuality and pedophilia, about which TNH reported extensively. The Archdiocese was then headed by Archbishop Iakovos and his Chancellor, Rev. George Bakopoulos, was in charge of appointments and transfers. Adamakis was sent from parish to parish, sexually molesting young boys virtually  wherever he went.

Adamakis, who began his life in the church as an altar boy at the Annunciation Cathedral in Boston, MA, later served as Iakovos’ driver when the latter was the Cathedral’s priest.

Soon after Adamakis was ordained a celibate (unmarried) priest, he engaged in pedophilia. First in New England, and then Easton, where he abused Prodes, his brother, and a first cousin of theirs.

Additional incidents followed at parishes in New Mexico and California, and as we reported in 2007, the Archdiocese paid over $1 million to the victims in an out-of-court settlement. One of Adamakis’ victims was related to him.

Adamakis spent seven years in jail in California, but continued the abuse after his release.

He was found dead at age 61 on July 20, 2003, in the parking lot of the Panorama City, CA apartment complex in which he lived, shot to death with an assault rifle by his 24-year-old lover, Tu Luong Hua, who was subsequently convicted of first degree murder.

ABUSE, AND DEATH THREATS

In a four-hour interview with TNH, Prodes detailed the abuse he suffered at Adamakis’ hands. He brought along several supporting documents, including a handwritten note by his victim cousin, John Bednar, then-14, detailing his own abuse.

Prodes also provided a copy of an extensive letter dated December 29, 1979, written by his mother, Aspasia, to then-Bishop Maximos of Pittsburgh, which describes Adamakis’ acts toward her two sons and Bednar.

Prodes began studying to be a priest at the Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (HCHC), and then went to St. Tikhon’s Seminary in South Canaan, PA  to complete his studies.

“I felt God’s calling” from age 11, when he served as an altar boy, Prodes told TNH. Then Adamakis arrived to the parish, with his “money, custom black Trans-Am, and hair fixed nice,” and modeled himself after Iakovos, whom Adamakis called his spiritual father, Prodes said.

“My dad was the parish president and Adamakis became very close to our family. He came to the house often; he invited us to his house. He started giving us gifts and money. He let me use his car. He took us to dinner; he was trying to endear himself to us, especially me, as the head of the altar boys. I was 17, my brother was 14, and our  cousin was 14,” he continued.

“I had a lot of respect for him, but then he started to shock me,” Prodes said, relaying how Adamakis, during confession, asked Prodes whether he had sex with girls, and encouraging him to describe the sexual acts in specific detail.

Then, Prodes says, Adamakis became more aggressive, probing Prodes both in and out of confession as to whether he thought about other men sexually, and whether he sexually pleasured himself, and/or watched pornography.

“I come from a good family, I was naive,” Prodes says. “I didn’t have any experience with homosexuals let along with a homosexual priest. I was confused; I didn’t know what to make out of that. I thought maybe this is normal. Maybe this is what the confessor asks because I had not been to confession before.”

Then, Adamakis “started to get closer and closer, He started to give me hugs, kisses on the cheek. He brought us over to his house, where he had a lot of homosexual pornographic movies and magazines. One day, I told him I would to tell my mom and dad. We were in all in his house: me, my brother, and my cousin. He took out a gun and threatened to kill us and my parents if I said anything. I was scared I didn’t say anything. He grabbed me he put the gun to my head.

“One day after Liturgy, he and I were in the altar and I was putting some things on the Holy Table. He came up behind me and…I was shocked, I didn’t know what to do. I was afraid.”

Prodes and Bednar went to Adamakis’ house one day to interview him about a project Prodes had for school about theological differences between Orthodox and Catholics. After the interview, Prodes went downstairs, leaving Adamakis and Bednar alone upstairs. Adamakis came on to Bednar, but the latter pushed him away and then, a few hours later, wrote the letter – now in TNH’s possession – about what transpired.

Aspasia Prodes found the letter, asked Prodes what was going on, at which point “I started crying and told her everything.”  That’s when she wrote the letter to Maximos.

THE COVER-UP

“Maximos called me into his office,” Prodes relays. He asked me about it, and I told him everything. He didn’t say much. The only thing he said was: ‘don’t worry, Alex, we are going to take care of it. I am going to remove him.’ He said ‘please don’t go to the police, let the Church, let me, let the Archdiocese take care of the issue.’

Other clergy told him the same thing. “My parents are so spiritual and so obedient. They are church people. They were convinced that the Archdiocese would resolve the issue. But they didn’t do anything; they simply transferred Adamakis to another parish.”

RECOURSE

Both the Pittsburgh Diocese and the Archdiocese told the Prodes family not to go to the police, promising instead to resolve the issue themselves. At that point, they transferred Adamakis to New Mexico.

The Prodes brothers and Bednar have now asked for $2.4 million in damages, but the Archdiocese refused because the statute of limitations has expired and there is no one at the Archdiocese now who can substantiate the allegations. Now-retired Metropolitan Maximos is unable to testify due to illness.

Instead, the Archdiocese has offered to pay up to $10,000 per person for a year of counseling.

The Prodes brothers and the Archdiocese’s Executive Director of Administration, Jerry Dimitriou, have all given sworn depositions.

Prodes told TNH of other sexual assaults against him, by HCHC officials, when he studied there. At press time, TNH had not verified those allegations.
AN OPEN BOOK

After graduating from St. Tikhon’s, Prodes was ordained a priest. He divorced 11 years ago, stating that the abuse he suffered caused him to turn to gambling as an outlet. “I was destroyed physically and mentally. Two years ago, I attempted suicide by swallowing 60 sleeping pills. I wanted to put an end to my misery.” Subsequently, Prodes went for psychiatric treatment.

But why did Prodes take so long to come forward? “A lot of factors. The community, my family, my name, my parents, my children, my wife – it was just an embarrassment. It was not easy. I have been wrestling with it ever since it happened.

“Even though it has taken this long, 37 I finally said I don’t care what the consequences are for me. What else can I suffer? I have lost everything. I want my story to be known. I want to have healing, closure. They destroyed my life. I want to see justice done. They all protect each other. That close-knit community of homosexuals who cover for one another.”

Prodes maintains that he is by no means a homosexual. “I hate it, I have nothing to do with homosexuality and have never had a homosexual activity [outside of the abuse he endured], ever.”

Prodes says if he had to do it all over again, he never would have become a priest. At HCHC, “I saw all the corruption, homosexuality, alcohol, drugs, sex, and rapes (he mentioned specific females’ names and male students who are now priests).

His return to the status of layman was at his own request.

“Because of the sexual and other abuses I experienced, and my doctors, psychiatrists, and psychologists agree, that my actions were a result of being abused. I have made many mistakes and poor judgments as a result of being abused by clergy in many ways. The wounds go so deep and are not healed even to this day. They have caused my physical, mental, and spiritual problems. I still continue to suffer terribly. I was mentally not responsible for my actions. I was not being treated medically, psychologically, or spiritually at the time. It was only afterwards that I sought medical, psychological, and spiritual help to deal with my trauma,” he said.

There were implications at one time that he was involved with a 16-year-old girl from his parish in Oak Lawn, IL, but Prodes insists that there was nothing inappropriate about it. He was having problems with his wife at the time, he says, but his interaction with the girl – via Internet chats – was innocent. “I was never charged or arrested. In fact, I have never been arrested for anything in my life,” he told TNH.

“Are you telling the truth about all of this?” we asked? “Yes,” Prodes replied. “I’m an open book.”

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NEW YORK – Tom Bouzalas, the husband of Rev. George Passias’ mistress, Ethel, with whom Passias conducted an affair and whom he impregnated, all of which resulted in the Archdiocese banning Passias from the priesthood, in an exclusive interview with The National Herald discusses the whole sordid mess, including details of the affair and issues pertaining to the finances of the St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in the Upper Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights, where Passias served as priest and Ethel Bouzalas, by Passias’ appointment, parish treasurer.

Ethel also revealed her thoughts in an October 8 email to Archdiocesan Chancellor, Bishop Andonios of Phasiane.

Bouzalas told TNH he was the one who notified the Archdiocese, specifically, Bishop Andonios of Phasiane, about the affair, and requested Passias’ removal from the priesthood.

“My wife and I have been estranged for the past 17 years,” he said, also indicating that via email, he received extremely graphic photographs and videos of Passias and Bouzalas together.

His comments to TNH follow:

“Up until now I have stayed quiet. I’ve received, read, heard, and seen so much in the past two weeks, and further back, even.

“You want to know what really happened? Well here are the facts:

“I emailed Bishop Andonios and informed him of the affair between Fr. Passias and my wife, and that I wanted Fr. Passias removed from the priesthood.

I received extremely graphic photographs and videos, and even though I haven’t read everything that’s been printed about Passias, he has a serious problem, beyond just a cake or foot fetish.”

Bouzalas described how Passias would fly up from Fort Myers, FL “just to say hello and see my wife,” and how he “sat outside my home for hours waiting for my wife to get home.”

Passias would speak badly of his own wife to him, Bouzalas said, “what a terrible wife and disciplinarian she is, where even his youngest daughter had to lock herself in the bathroom until Father George would get home.

Passias would “text my wife at all hours of the night,” Bouzalas added, and during vacation, would spend late hours with her, would pick her up and drive her to work everyday, and “bruised and manhandled her.”

Nonetheless, Passias was in denial. “I never wanted to believe what was taking place. I believed my wife was safe; I was wrong.

“Since my wife and I have been estranged for the past 17 years, to use the word ‘cheating’ to describe the affair would be inaccurate,” he says. “But what people saw on that videotape is not representative of her, but rather of Fr. George’s obsession with her.

“He would call her a Peruvian Princess and Empress, right in front of me. Well, Ethel is neither of those things, but she is a beautiful Peruvian woman whom any man would be lucky to have. She is passionate, warm, gentle, understanding, but despite her beauty, is extremely insecure.

“Father is an older man who knew better, but nonetheless was undeterred in his pursuit of my wife. He wanted to baptize her, and wanted her to become Principal of the St. Spyridon School so that there would be a reason for her to work by his side. He wanted her to join the Parish Council. He wanted her to be in a position of prominence. He would always get his way.”

Bouzalas said that his wife, because of her kindness and naiveté, believed in him, and did everything for him.

Bouzalas became sick this summer and was hospitalized since the end of June, and that is particularly when his wife “fell victim to Fr. George and his sickness. He made sure to isolate her and plant seeds in her mind, because he enjoyed controlling her.”

In fact, Bouzalas adds, “Fr. George became crazy with jealousy when my wife was attending to me.” Although they are estranged, the Bouzalases are “best friends,” he says, and “she made sure I received the best care and was attended to by the best doctors.”

IN HER DEFENSE

The press belittles Ethel Bouzalas, her husband says, but he comes to her defense and notes her accomplishments.

Regarding the St. Spyridon School, he describes how before she got there, nine years ago, “the textbooks they had were from 1969.” There was hardly any furniture in the classrooms, and the entire school was a glorified babysitting center.

“Ethel and I were the School’s greatest benefactors,” he says, including $40,000 which he gave up front and expected back at the end of her tenure.
“It was our money,” he says. “We didn’t donate the money to the school and she easily could have walked out with it at any time, and no one would have stopped her. There was nothing devious about any of this – except what Fr. Passias has done.”

Passias is “a coward and a liar, who probably lied to his wife and family about my wife, probably portraying it as if she was the one who came on to him,” Bouzalas says. “He is the consummate deceiver.

“As for me,” Bouzalas concluded, “I am lucky for my wife, even if we were together a short time, and for my three beautiful sons. And Ethel will always be my best friend.”

ETHEL’S EMAIL

Ethel, in an October 8 e-mail to Archdiocesan Chancellor Bishop Andonios of Phasiane, thanked him for his kindness and concern, and asked him whether Fr. Passias had done similar things to other women. “I am not going to dare ask if Father George has done something like this before, although it seems as though he has.”

Bouzalas wrote about the St. Spyridon School’s finances, where Passias served as priest and she as the School Principal. In response to an email by Bishop Andonios to her, requesting that she return $30,000 she took from the parish upon leaving, Bouzalas’ response in the email was that she and her husband lent the money to the School.

The entire email follows:

“Good afternoon, your Grace, once again thank you for your kindness and concern.

I have a wonderful little sister who has been a tremendous source of comfort to me. I am not going to dare ask if Father George has done something like this before although it seems as if though he has. Why should I doubt it? I’ve been left to bear the brunt of the scandal while he has safely hidden himself away.

“My sister says that I’ve been used and victimized for my money and that I am probably not the first victim who has fallen. I’m hurt like I’ve never been hurt. I live in my memories and just try to exist each and every day. Emotionally I am in a downward spiral. My eldest son loves Father and now I have to tell him the truth. It is too hard to bear.

“Please do not feel bad about asking me about the monies. They are monies that were never and have never been reported to the General Assembly. That was never a tradition there at St. Spyridon, even before my time.

“I inherited how the School Board ran the finances of the school (During Sophie George’s time). Tuition for St. Spyridon was $300 a month and most single mothers pay from $300 to $320 a month. Today, tuition is $400 a month with about 30 families paying $320 or $350 because of hardship. The School only ever had enough for payroll, which is why they could not afford a principal, and I was appointed. School tuitions were collected and deposited in the bank. It was always reported to the School Board that I was always putting money into the School in the thousands (to be clear, the first two years) hefty amounts of cash were given by [my husband] Tom and were put into the school for books and payroll and the one thing that the General assembly was told was that I was the schools greatest benefactor always bringing in tons of supplies because the children nor the school could afford it.

“After Putting in excess of $300,000 in the School of the Holy Cross in Brooklyn, Tom would not donate to the school of St. Spyridon. Tom felt that my taking over the principalship was enough and always lent money with the understanding that he was not donating, but if others wanted to they could go ahead and do so. He felt that people took his kindness for granted. Tom kept tally. When I had mentioned about the amounts to be recorded at a meeting years ago at the School Board, jokingly, I was told that there was no need to receipt the money and that I wasn’t going anywhere and that my word was good (obviously, that was a different time and a different mindset).

“All of us were friends on the Council and [due to my meticulousness] I think I would make everyone fall asleep by the time I was done with my Treasurer’s Report. I was always scared of making mistakes and if you ask anyone of them they will tell you with all sincerity, I would hope (even though now they must hate me) that I was always scared and very honest when it came to monies.

“About a year and a half ago, I opened an account in TD Bank, it was a money market account. I told Father that I had money in my safe at the school. He advised me to look into a bank that would make money for the $65,000 that I had in my safe. That money has no background, meaning its primary source was me. There are no records of where that money came from because $30,000 from the years 2009 to 2013 belonged to me and the rest of the monies were from selling the candies that I would buy for the School to raise money for payroll. The Council is aware that there are times that cash transactions are made with no recordings. I was under the assumption that Father George told [Parish Council President] Steve Papadatos about the $65,000 in the bank. In any case, a total of $40,000 is an accumulation of what is owed to Tom.

“Tom never gave monies in check form, always in cash, as he deals in real estate and deals with a lot of cash transactions. As I said to Steve earlier, if it would please the Council, I will gladly return the $30,000 that is accounted for and I will ask that the total of what is owed to Tom and I be removed from TD bank, where it should rightfully come from.

“The school has no way to account for those monies other than that Tom allowed for me to keep the money there until such time as I should step down from the School.

“Your Grace, I told Steve earlier that had all gone well this year, I could have easily pocketed my monies and no one have been the wiser. I knew my monies were safe both in the safe and in the bank. I did it to raise my personnel’s morale. They get paid very little and would get excited to see so much money.

“The breakdown is as follows:

2009 $10,000: books and materials and payroll.

2010 $10,000: Books and materials and furniture and payroll.

2011 $5,000: Instructional materials and Payroll.

2012 $5,000: Supplies and Payroll.

2013 $5,000: Supplies and Payroll

2014 $5,000: Supplies and Payroll

“It is not major monies, we are talking about but nonetheless ours. I hope your Grace and The Parish Council will take what I am asking for under consideration. I have been hurt enough, my family has been hurt enough, my brothers and sisters on the Parish Council have been hurt enough. Tom always made me promise that I would not gift his money to the School because he had done enough at Holy Cross. I am including Tom in this email.

“Sincerely, Ethel Bouzalas.”

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