WESTERN CANADA

Around and about British Columbia

By Katerina & Dimitrios Angelatos

It is time for the scourge, Your Eminence

A church is supposed to be a sanctuary that welcomes everyone who steps inside. The same should be true for the Greek Orthodox churches here in Canada, although only those of the faith can participate in the sacraments. We have always been told that churches which are operated by parish communities are there for all the faithful to use. This certainly seems true when the appeal for funds goes out to the community at large. However, an incident in Surrey recently points out that some of those societies look upon the church as their own ‘private club’.

When Metropolitan Sotirios was visiting the Surrey church on February 13, a number of the board members went to great efforts to try to prevent the reporter for this newspaper to cover the event. They stated that they had a special meeting to decide not to allow Patrides into the church. As soon as our reporter walked into the church, he was surrounded and hassled. They tried to prevent him from taking part in the church service, even going so far as to block him from taking communion.

Pharos

The third lecture of the 1999/2000 season of Pharos (Canadian Hellenic Culture Society) was held on Monday, January 31 at the Hellenic Community Centre in Vancouver. The upper hall was packed to hear the lecture by Archbishop Lazar. Monastery of All Saints and Archbishop of New Ostrog, ukranian Orthodox Church. He is Director of the Nemanjic institute for Serbo-Byzantine Studies. He is also the author of numerous works on Orthodox theology and life and has lectured at many universities and colleges across Canada and the USA. His topic for the evening was on the importance of the icon to Orthodox Christianity and how icons are used as a form of language into which the Scriptures are translated.

Pharos has been in existence for 20 years and over the course of those years has presented hundreds of interesting illustrated lectures. The lectures are presented on the last Monday of October, November, January, February, March and April of each year. The February lecture is entitled “Wagner and Greek Myths” and will be a multi-media presentation.

The January meeting also saw the election of officers for the society. Gwyneth Lewis was elected as president, Hector Williams as vice-president and George Panagopoulos as treasurer. Directors are Peter Capadouca, Teno Genis, Kosta Kaounas, Tasos Kazepides and George Storey.

Gwyneth Lewis, the new president of Pharos. Pharos became a real institution for the cultivation of new ideas into the 21st century.

Ladies to the rescue for the third time

On Sunday, January 23, a fundraising dinner was held to benefit Saints Nicholas and Dimitrios Church in Vancouver. The luncheon was held at the Hellenic Community Centre after the Sunday church service. Parishioners from all three of the Greek churches attended the luncheon. This event was organized by a group of ladies who have held two similar fundraisers for that church in the past two years. These ladies put in a lot of time to organize the event, finding donors and volunteers to help make this event possible. Through their dedication and hard work they were able to raise about $25,000. The money will be put directly towards lowering the mortgage for the church.

At the microphone, Catherine Dounis, president of the Greek Orthodox Community of East Vancouver (St. Nicholas), and Artemis Pardalis, chairperson of the ladies group who organized the fundraiser.

Members of the Greek Community of Vancouver and their families in support of the fundraising event for the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church.

Members of the Hellenic-Canadian Community of Vancouver celebrating their heritage at the fundraising event.

Greek Community of Surrey

Will they build a church?

Metropolitan Sotirios again visited the greater Vancouver area in February. He served Divine Liturgy at Saints Constantine and Helen Church (Greek Orthodox Community of Surrey) on Sunday, February 13. He was there to announce the proposed purchase of the property that the community is using and to kick start the funding campaign. Metropolitan Sotirios said that $50,000 had to be raised for a downpayment.

Stories are going around that the property has been purchased but in our research we have found that the sale is not yet finalized. There are many conditions that have to be met first. Why that community is even considering paying a huge sum of money ($375,000) for that property is questionable. It may be a valuable property for commercial use but for a community centre and church it is just not feasible. They would be very lucky to get a building permit for a small church seating 50 people but not for a large church and community hall. It is difficult, if not impossible, to get a building permit if there is insufficient parking. Where do they expect to put the parking? They can forget about counting on the parking from the library and community centre across the street. The property is on septic tank and proper sewers would also have to be put in. Have they considered the cost of that? When the lack of insufficient space pointed out there are those who insist that the community is also buying the adjoining vacant lot. They must have been misinformed or are not able to read the signs erected there for a planned apartment building.

Others are saying that there are no plans to do any building on the property but that they will just continue as now, a church on Sunday mornings and a dance hall whenever they feel like it. Those that are contributing with the understanding that they are supporting a church might feel “used” if that is the case. How much of the money that has been collected since late 1992 will be used towards the property and how much of a mortgage would the community have to carry? Those are all questions that have to be addressed not only to those few that are signed up members but to everyone who attends the church, members and non-members alike. If they wish the full support of the Greeks in the area, they have to be willing to be open about all their plans and be willing to work with everyone, not just their closed circle as they have been doing the past eight years. Only with love, which seems to be in short supply, will we see a church and a community centre built in the near future.

Year 2000

Giving from the heart

We are only at the beginning of the year but already many Greeks have opened their pockets and their hearts to help their fellow Greeks. A number of different Greek organizations benefited. Close to $100,000 has been raised through the generosity of the Greeks of Vancouver and the surrounding cities.

On January 23 a luncheon to benefit Saints Nicholas & Dimitrios Church in East Vancouver, organized by a group of dedicated Greek women and helped by many donors and volunteers raised almost $25,000 to pay on the principal of the mortgage for that church.

On February 13, Metropolitan Sotirios started the fundraiser for Saints Constantine & Helen Church in Surrey by donating $1,000 during the church service. After the church service, a luncheon was held at the Royal Oak restaurant. Under the direction of Metropolitan Sotirios almost $29,000 was pledged for the building fund for the church.

On February 20, a marathon was held to raise funds for the Surrey community. Nick Panos, president of the Canadian Hellenic Congress (National) turned over the use of his business office for the telephone headquarters for that event. The event was broadcast by Mike Giorgopoulos on his radio program. Most of the pledges coming in came from people living outside the Surrey area but any money raised was for the church building fund of Saints Constantine & Helen in Surrey. At press time the amount raised was not yet known.

The Greek Senior Citizens also had a fundraiser on February 20 for their centre. About four hundred people turned out for the dinner which was held at the Hellenic Community of Vancouver. The president, Yiannis Kapernekas, said that close to $15,000 was raised. The senior citizens organization is one of the few Greek organizations in BC that owns its own premises which are used for meetings and social gatherings. It is open every day to members and guests.

On February 23, another fundraiser was held at the Hellenic Community Centre. This time it was the “stag” party, one of the major fundraisers for the Greek Orthodox Community of East Vancouver (Saints Nicholas & Dimitrios Church). Over 200 people attended this predominantly male gathering, grossing $70,000. As well as the grand prize of a jeep, many other prizes were given out. Chairman for the event was Nikos Kondilenios. Fr. Panagiotis said that it was hoped that at least $25,000 of the net income would be used to pay city hall for the principal for the property recently purchased.

Many other smaller functions such as teas and luncheons also were instrumental in raising funds. Even in the tough economic times experienced lately in British Columbia there are those who have given generously to try to preserve the Greek culture. It is now up to the boards of these various organizations to ensure that the money goes for the purposes it was raised for. All the Greeks, not just those members of the organizations involved, should be informed through the media and other means how and when the money is used. This way the Greeks will continue to give their support in the future.

Sunday of Orthodoxy

Every year, on the first Sunday of Great Lent, the various Orthodox Christian churches gather for a special joint vesper service. This year, it will again be at one of the Greek churches, at Saints. Nicholas & Dimitrios Church, at 4541 Boundary Road, in Vancouver. Metropolitan Sotirios is planning to attend this special service. Every year, there is a number of churches that are left off the list, so let us hope that politics will be set aside and this day will be used as a true day of unity among all Orthodox Christians. Old Calendar or New, regardless of jurisdiction.