By Catherine Tsounis
NEW YORK, NY – “General Theodoros Kolokotronis said, ‘When we revolted, we spoke first for our Christian faith, then for the nation,’ said Dean Moskos, governor of the state’s District 6 of New York from the AHEPA Empire. “The Greek Orthodox Church guided and constituted the unifying force of the Greeks. There is no Greek country without FAITH. The unifying symbol is the CROSS. Faith and homeland unify our nation! Nassau County Greek Orthodox Churches and Long Island AHEPA Family Chapters participated in the Hellenic-American Heritage Day morning “Greek Flag Raising” hosted by the Honorable Bruce A. Blakeman, Nassau County Executive .
The event took place at the Theodore Roosevelt Executive Building in Mineola, New York. A continuation took place on Hellenic-American Heritage Night, when an honoree from each Greek Orthodox church in Nassau County was honored in the same legislative building.
The 11 a.m. morning program was as follows: Welcome remarks by Anastasi Stampolis, chair of the Long Island AHEPA Family Chapters Committee; Invocation, Nassau County Greek Orthodox Clergy, Rev. Father Christopher Constantinides, Rev. Father John Lardas, Father George Kazoulis, Rev. Father Gerasimos Ballas, and Rev. Father Elias Pappas; American and Greek national anthems sung by Aggeliki Psonis; Host, the Honorable Bruce A. Blakeman, Nassau County Executive; Dean Moskos, AHEPA Empire NYS District 6 Governor; Daughters of Penelope Empire District 6 Governor Eleni Damaskos Christou; and AHEPA Supreme Region 3 Governor Theodore A. Stamas.
“We welcome all cultures to Nassau County,” said the Honorable Bruce A. Blakeman, Nassau County Executive. “We have 20,000 Greeks in Nassau County. Their teenagers participate in their culture and their church. It’s impressive. We want Greek.
Community to have an open dialogue with us. We enjoy your festivals and don’t forget to invite us. God bless all Greek-Americans here in Nassau County. God bless the United States of America.
“We welcome the Long Island Family Chapters today,” said the Master of Ceremonies and Chair of the Long Island AHEPA Family Chapters Committee. “We celebrate our civic responsibility and Hellenism at the historic Theodore Roosevelt Nassau County Executive Building.”
“We are proud of our Greek roots,” said Eleni Damaskos Christou, District 6 governor of the Daughters of Penelope Empire. “Our brotherhood is growing in Canada, the United States and Europe. We are ready to start again what our founding sisters before them started decades ago. Their legacy continues.”
“I had the pleasure of being in Albany with His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros,” said Theodore A. Stamas, Supreme Governor of AHEPA Region 3. “On March 22, 2023, the New York State Assembly and Senate adopted resolutions recognizing March 2023 as New York State Greek History Month. In honor of this historic recognition, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America offered the invocation at each of today’s legislative sessions. Refreshments were served at the end. This reporter was impressed by the presence of children from stroller to adolescence, instilled with a love of their Greek heritage. Keeping Greek civilization alive among young people guarantees the present and future of the Greek community.
