30th Annual Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston Ministry Awards June 2016

30th Annual Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston Ministry Awards
by HCS

In a congenial setting at Lombardo's Restaurant and convention facilities in Randolph, Massachusetts, the Metropolis of Boston celebrated its thirtieth annual ministry awards. A full crowd of more than 700 attended the dinner and program, including award recipients, their friends and relatives, members of the clergy, and distinguished guests.

The program of the awards dinner opened with singing of the American and Greek National Anthems by Katerina Makiej, followed immediately by an invocation given by His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios and assisted by Rev. Theodore J. Barbas, Chancellor of the Metropolis.

Masters of Ceremonies, Christos and Mary Papoutsy, invited formal greetings from Ms. Georgia Lagadinos, Vice President of the Metropolis Philoptochos Board, Rev. Fr. Panagiotis Giannakopoulos, President of the New England Clergy Brotherhood, and Ms. Maria Koukoutsi, the Vice-Consul General of the Consulate of Greece in Boston.

Panayota Haloulakou (vocals), Georgios Galanakis (guitar), John Mitaras (Bouzouki), and Athanasios Papadopoulos (drums) offered several fine musical numbers for the evening's Musical Interlude.

Following the Musical Interlude, attendees watched a short, but excellent video presentation on Ministries of the Metropolis, among which are the Philoxenia House, Fellowship of Orthodox Stewards (FOS), and the Metropolis of Boston Summer Camp and Retreat Center. Concluding the evening's entertainment, Christos Papoutsy offered brief congratulatory remarks to award recipients and engaged the entire hall with a sing-along dedicated to His Eminence, an old favorite Greek tune, "S' agapo giati eisai oraia."

His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios delivered Archpastoral Reflections about the upcoming Ecumenical Council scheduled at the end of June in Crete, about the rarity of and overall goals for this ecclesiastical gathering arranged by His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomaios. At the conclusion of his timely remarks, he iconferred awards upon the chosen recipients. Awardees gathered on the stage, stepping forward as their names were called, and accepting their awards from His Eminence. Photographer Areti Bratsis snapped digital images of each recipient posing with His Eminence.

RECIPIENT DESIGNATED BY HIS EMINENCE METROPOLITAN METHODIOS

Fr. George and Presbytera Athanasia Papademetriou

RECIPIENTS SELECTED BY THE PARISHES

Connecticut

Saint Sophia, New London--Milton Papathanasiou
Holy Trinity, Norwich--Lawrence Wyland

Maine

St. George, Bangor--Dr. David Michael Walter
Holy Trinity, Lewiston--David LeGloahec

Massachusetts

Sts. Constantine & Helen, Andover--James & Georgia Kiladis
Saint Athanasius, Arlington--Ioannis K. Moutsatsos
Annunciation Cathedral, Boston--Mary Hatzis
St. John the Baptist, Boston--Vasilios & Eleni Pesiridis
Saint Catherine, Braintree--Gregory Zacharakis
Annunciation, Brockton--Vasilik Palantzas
Sts. Constantine & Helen, Cambridge--Ioanna Doulis & the late Athanasios Doulis
Saint George, Centerville--Emilios Rigas
Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Cohaset--Niki Zervas
Saint George, Kartmouth--Mark Harrington
Saint Luke, East Longmeadow--Jordan Chatis
Saint Demetrios, Fall River--Atha Salpoglou
Holy Trinity, Fitchburg--Marcia Karis Pinault
Holy Apostles/Sts. Peter & Paul, Haverhill--Aristedes Pardales
Holy Trinity, Holyoke--James & Janet Maynard
Assumption, Ipswich--Perry & Kathie Eliopoulos
Saint Nicholas, Lexington--James & Helen Pitarys
Holy Trinity, Lowell--Vasiliki Kourkoulakos
Transfiguration, Lowell--George & Jill Laganas
Saint Gregory, Mansfield--Stephen & Diana Drugas
Sts. Anargyroi, Marlboro--Peter Chrisafedeis
Annunciation, Newburyport--Charles Neos
Saint Vasilios, Peabody--Bessie Bentas Silva
Saint Nectarios, Roslindale--Georgia Teloniatis
Dormition of the Virgin Mary, Somerville--Fotini Tivinis
Saint George Cathedral, Springfield--Debra Stathis Ciejek
Taxiarchae, Watertown--Spiros H. Pappas
Sts. Constantine & Helen, Webster--Pauline Angelo
Saint Demerios, Weston--Christos & Eugenia Kourlos
Annunciation, Woburn--Lucille & The Late Angelo Kiklis
Saint Spyridon Cathedral, Worcester--Georgeia Parafestas

New Hampshire

Holy Trinity, Concord--Effie Theodorou Makris
Annunciation, Dover--Siroun Roubian-Braun
Taxiarchai, Laconia--Mary Noucas Garside
Assumption, Manchestre--Evangelia Gregorious
Saint George, Manchester--Timothy A. Giotas
Saint Philip, Nashua--Dorothy Pitarys
Saint Vasilios, Newport--Constantine Vlahalkis
Saint Nicholas, Portsmouth--Jim & Melissa Bouzianis

Rhode Island

Annunciation, Cranston--Roula & Kostantinos Proyous
Saint Spyridon, Newport--Aliki Cooper
Assumption, Pawtucket--Georgia & Nikoletta Tsimortos

Vermont

Dormition of the Mother of God, Burlington--Nicholas & Sally Pitt

Guests and recipients all received a full program booklet with full biographies of each awardee. and musical biographies of the performers. Also placed at each setting was a second booklet listing more than 1200 total recipients of the Metropolis of Boston Ministry Awards since the inception of the program thirty years ago.

(Posting date 19 June 2016)

HCS encourages readers to view other articles and releases in our permanent, extensive archives at the URL http://www.helleniccomserve.com/contents.html.