Greek Parish Has Much To Celebrate

New Priest Gets Rave Reviews

by Frances Grandy Taylor
Courant Staff Writer

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December 25, 2004

Since the Rev. John Heropoulos arrived at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Hartford five months ago, members say he has revitalized their parish community.

"He's charismatic. He touches people," said Helen Limnios, president of the cathedral's parish council.

Heropoulos, who worked as a chaplain at ground zero, brought that sense of mission to St. George. He also brought a concern for people that led him to donate a kidney to a stranger last year.

"Everyone feels connected to him. He's visited everyone in their home - he knows more about this community in four months than many people do," Limnios added. "We're going through a renaissance right now, with this man."

St. George, founded 74 years ago by Greek immigrants in Hartford's Frog Hollow neighborhood, has a congregation of about 800 families, drawn from surrounding towns.

Heropoulos, 41, grew up in the Springfield area and came to Hartford in August, after serving as a parish priest on Long Island, and as an administrator in the archdiocese of the Greek Orthodox Church in New York.

Heropoulos, who has an engaging, regular-guy presence, is aware of the rave reviews from his new congregation.

"I have been overwhelmed by their welcoming spirit, their love for their church and their desire to do their best for the community," he said.

Like other ethnic Orthodox churches, the Greek church is at a crossroads, facing the need to attract new members and converts, as its founding immigrant population has slowly aged and dwindled.

The challenge is "maintaining our identity while not being exclusive - having your doors open and your arms open - but not forgetting from whence you came," Heropoulos said. "The church is open to every human being. You don't have to be Greek, but by the same token, how do you not compromise your beliefs, the culture of who you are as Greek Orthodox Christians?"

Many converts to the Greek Orthodox Church are married to Greeks, or have left their own faith. Some people are attracted by the elaborate ritual and lengthy liturgy of the Orthodox church, which is performed in Greek and English.

"We don't send out missionaries to other Christian communities for converts," Heropoulos said. "For whatever reason, they were not spiritually fulfilled where they were, and their heart feels comfortable here."

Geoffrey Perry, 41, an Avon resident whose wife is Greek, converted to the Greek Orthodox faith two weeks ago.

"We got here about a year ago," Perry said. "In that time [Heropoulos] has really livened things up. He's a very passionate person who is easy to talk to. The community has really started drawing closer together."

Coins Hidden In St. Basil's Bread

Christmas is second only to Easter as the holiest day in the Greek Orthodox Church, and the stained-glass sanctuary of St. George is filled with dozens of red poinsettias.

For Orthodox Christians, 40 days of fasting precede the Christmas holiday, similar to the fast before Easter. The fast ends with holy communion on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

"After your fast, you are much more thankful to God, you don't take the food and drink for granted. We are lighter, not only bodily, but spiritually," Heropoulos said. "You are more attentive to the fact that we really depend on God for everything."

The celebration of the 12 days of Christmas begins Dec. 25 and runs through Jan. 6, the Feast of the Epiphany. On New Year's Day, Greek Orthodox Christians honor St. Basil, a bishop who lived more than 1,000 years ago, by baking a thick sweet bread call vasilopita, or St. Basil's bread.

To save people from famine, St. Basil "took all the riches of the church and had these sweet breads made up, baking the bread with a gold coin or something precious from the church inside and delivered it to the homes," Heropoulos explained. "When they the found the piece of gold, they could use it to buy food for the winter."

According to tradition, a coin is baked into each loaf of bread, and whoever gets the slice has a blessing for the year.

In an effort to reach beyond the St. George community, this year the church provided toys and clothing to children at the Children's Home in Cromwell, and gave household items to their struggling families.

"Attendance is up, all the ministries are flourishing - he's brought a vitality that has been missing for some time," said Dr. James Rouman, a member of St. George for 40 years.

'To Give As Fully As Possible'

As a priest in the Greek Orthodox tradition, Heropoulos had the choice of marriage or celibacy before becoming ordained. He chose to be a single, celibate priest.

"Even though it's a 2,000-year-old church, it's still very sensitive to the individual human reality. You can be a good faithful priest and be married and have children, yet the church is also wise enough to say that some guys feel called to serve in a single way," he said.

"I just felt called to give as fully as possible to the ministry of Christ - that's just a feeling I had in my own heart, and how I should respond," Heropoulos said. "The parishioners are my family, the kids in the [church] school are my kids. It's cool."

While in New York, Heropoulos served for nine months as a Red Cross chaplain following the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

"I worked at a place called `T-mort,' which stands for temporary mortuary. We were right where the buildings came down," he said.

"When the bodies or parts were recovered, we would offer a prayer, and escort the remains to the T-mort. ... We were there to spiritually counsel the relief workers," he recalled. "It was devastating, but I'm glad I did it. It left a lasting mark on me. It changed my life."

A week ago, Heropoulos was visited by Dimitri and Maria Dermos of West Nyack, N.Y., members of his extended family. In 2003, Heropoulos donated a kidney to their son Michael, who is now 18.

"He is a very special person," said Maria Dermos, whose family was planning to attend Christmas Eve mass at St. George. "We would travel hours to see Father John."

Heropoulos said he gained weight after the operation, but had no other side effects. "I consider that a blessing that I was able to help them out. I feel great. I gained 20 pounds. I feel good, like I did something positive with my life."