Around and about British Columbia

By Katerina & Dimitrios Angelatos

Holy Week in BC

British Columbia had its share of the below normal temperatures that were setting records all over Canada this spring. In the Vancouver area cold and wet weather was forecast for Holy Week but it actually turned out better than expected. The outdoor processions went ahead as scheduled. Umbrellas were not required, as the heavy rain showers that were forecast did not materialize. The sun also came out for the weekend festivities. The aroma of lamb on the spit wafted from many back yards and patios where families gathered to celebrate.

The Greek Orthodox churches, St. George Cathedral in Vancouver, St. Nicholas & St. Dimitrios in east Vancouver, and St. Constantine & Helen church in Surrey all had good attendance for the Holy Week services. The crowds were out in full force for the Good Friday evening liturgy and procession and of course late Saturday evening for the “Anastasi”. There are always a large number of people who manage to stay for the Pascha morning liturgy that immediately follows the “Anastasi” service. In the wee hours of Pascha Sunday morning one can see a large number of cars on the road with the tell-tale glow of candlelight from those who are attempting to take the "Anastasi" light home to bless their homes.

There are two different calendars used by Orthodox Christians. Since the early 1920’s most of the Greek churches use the “new calendar”, the Gregorian calendar which is also the secular calendar used around the world, while most other Orthodox churches still use the “old calendar”, the Julian calendar. That is why some Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas in December while others celebrate it on January 7 (which is December 25 on the Julian). When it comes to Pascha (or Easter), however, both groups celebrate it at the same time. The “new calendar” worshippers then also use the “old” or Julian calendar. It starts with “Cheesefare” Sunday and lasts until Pentecost. Occasionally the Orthodox celebration of Pascha falls at the same time as that celebrated by non-Orthodox Christians but usually it is one, two, or even five weeks later. This depends upon where the Jewish Passover falls and upon the phases of the moon. This year, the celebration was five weeks later.

Usually the Greek celebrations are sponsored by the various Greek church communities or societies. This year, some of the Greek restaurants also decided to get involved. “Cosmos” Restaurant in White Rock (owned by George Zambus and Demetre Theodosakis), “Gorgona” Taverna in Ladner (owned by Nick Patsis) and “Costa’s Greek Taverna” in Langley (owned by Costas Pappas) all held special “Greek” nights to celebrate March 25, 1821 – Greek Independence Day. Pascha celebrations usually involve the church services followed by family gatherings. When Pascha falls at the same time as “Western” Easter the Greeks who operate restaurants can close their establishments for the day. However, when it does not, as is usually the case, they are presented with a dilemma. They would like to stay home to celebrate with their families and friends but also need to keep their establishments operational. The new owners of the “Poseidon Restaurant” in Langley Andreas and Maria Tsonis decided that they would keep their establishment open and celebrate at the same time. They had the traditional lamb roast that could be enjoyed not only by their family but also by any of their customers who wished to experience a “Greek Easter”. As well the celebration was used to benefit their local community, as part proceeds were donated to the Langley Memorial Hospital foundation and to the Food Bank.

Carrying the Epitaphios – Good Friday procession, St. George Cathedral, Vancouver.

Four and a half-year-old Greek-Canadian Eleni Idreou raises her candle for “Christos Anesti”.

Surrey community celebrates its name day

The Greek Orthodox Community of Surrey celebrated the name day of its church St. Constantine and St. Helen with a special vesper service on Monday, May 20 and a liturgy on Tuesday, May 21. Rev. John Contoravdis from St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church in Bellingham as well as several priests from other ethnic Orthodox churches took part in the service. The majority of the people who attended came from Vancouver but there were also a number from across the border as well as a few locals. Nikos Tsoulouhas, the president of the St. Sophia Greek Community of Bellingham, was among those in attendance, as was the president of the Greek Orthodox Community of East Vancouver, George Papaspyrou.

Rev. John Contoravdis became the first parish priest of the Surrey Community in 1992 and served the community for over five years. Rev. Dorotheos Tryfonopoulos filled in for a short time until the arrival of Archmandrite Nektarios Tsoupras. Over three years later, Archmandrite Damaskinos Voliotis took over and served the community for less than one year. The current priest Rev. Ioannis Kaoukakis has served the community since summer 2001 when he was ordained as priest at St. George Cathedral in Vancouver.

In 1991, Bishop Sotirios told the founders and the first board that if the community went under his diocese he would guarantee to send a priest within six months. He promised to help in efforts to raise funds so that within three years he would be able to serve the first liturgy in the new church building in Surrey. At that time, Anastasios Dikaios was the president. He resigned in November of 1991. In January 1992, Katerina Angelatos was sworn in by Rev. Demetrios Partsafas as the first official president. In June 1992, Bishop Sotirios kept his first promise and brought Father John Contoravdis from Texas, USA, to serve as parish priest. At that time, Rev. Contoravdis told people that if they all dug into their pockets a church could be built within three years. Things did not quite work out that way. When he left after five years, the Community had not progressed. It was still using the rented premises that served as church on Sunday mornings and as a dance hall the rest of the time.

In 1997, Bishop Sotirios brought Archmandrite Nektarios from Greece to serve the community. At his first liturgy, he told the members and attendants that he came special from Greece and would not leave before a church was built. He also told people to dig deep into their pockets. Over three years later, not only was there no new church but there was also a lot of discord within the community. As Father John years later left abruptly, so now also did father Nektarios. It was during this time that the community negotiated to purchase the premises. Archmandrite Damaskinos then arrived from Greece. At his first liturgy, he said that he had made a contract for two years. With unity and with everyone’s financial support he hoped that a church could be built during this time. He also did not fare well. The building still did double duty, serving as a church at times and at other times reverting back to a dance hall. Less than a year later, he also left. The newly ordained priest Father Ioannis arrived to take over the post for the Surrey Community in 2001. At his arrival he also promised to build a church within a few years. At the service on May 21, 2002, Father Ioannis again repeated the familiar refrain. He asked people to dig deep into their pockets so that a new church could be built in three years.

In the past ten years, we have seen many other, non-Orthodox, churches spring up around us. All these groups had help from the congregations of other churches within their denominations. If Metropolitan Sotirios would remember his promise of 1991 and use his influence to help the fundraising the Surrey church would be built in a short time. Even if he just directed special collections to be taken up in all the Greek Orthodox churches in Canada it is amassing how much money could be collected not only for the purpose of building a church in Surrey, but also that in other struggling communities A church needs to be built in Surrey soon. Although the population of Greeks in the area has increased greatly over the last ten years, the membership in the church has not increased. People are tired of being asked for money and not seeing results. They are tired of empty promises.

Visiting the Surrey Community for the name day of the church from St. Sophia, Bellingham, Washington, USA, are the president of that Community, Nikos Tsoulouhas, his wife Kathy, and presvitera and Fr. John Contoravdis.

The psaltes (chanters) in Surrey on SS. Constantine and Helen Day come out for the special service. From right to left: from the SS. Constantine & Helen Church, from the St. George Cathedral, Vancouver, and from SS. Nicholas & Dimitrios, Vancouver.

Ethnic Press

Patrides is a member of the National Ethnic Press Council of Canada, an organization comprised of journalists from ethnic and other non-mainstream newspapers and publications. Our own editor-in-chief Tom Saras has been a force behind this organization and is its president. Greek Media Publications owners, Katerina and Dimitrios Angelatos (Patrides- Western Bureau) in 2001 were presented with an award for excellence in journalism by the organization. They were also made honourary members of the board of directors. They recently received a visit by a member of the Council, Jamil Ahmed. He is the editor of the Canadian Asian News of Toronto and has come to British Columbia hoping to establish a local branch of the organization here. He has asked Patrides-Western Bureau for support in this endeavor.

Jamil Ahmed of the Canadian Asian News, Toronto, visits Patrides in BC.

Patrides BC representatives Dimitrios and Katerina Angelatos with visiting journalist Jamil Ahmed, of the Canadian Asian News, Toronto.

80^th anniversary of the Holocaust of Asia Minor

We must never forget

On Sunday, May 19, 2002, a special memorial service was held at SS. Nicholas & Dimitrios Church in Vancouver to commemorate the Holocaust of Pontos. Serving that day was Father Dorotheos Tryfonopoulos as Father Peter Pavlakos was away on holidays. Present at the service were the Consul of Greece, Eleni Lianidou, the president of the Hellenic Canadian Congress of BC Peter Capadouca and president of the Pontion Society of BC Christos Kaskamanidis as well as other members of the society. After the church service, Father Dorotheos and the Consul of Greece both addressed all those who gathered in the church basement hall.

The Consul announced that the Parliament of Greece had decreed that May 19 be set aside as the memorial day for the holocaust of Pontos and Asia Minor. Pontos was an area along the Black Sea (Efxinos Pontos) in northeastern Asia Minor where Hellenes had settled thousands of years ago and where the Hellenic language and culture still survived into the last century. During WWI, the Ottomans, by the order of Mustafa Kemal, known as Attaturk, started to wipe out the Christians in the area. In 1915, over a million and a half Armenian Christians were killed. In 1916-17, between 350,000 and 450,000 Greeks in Pontos were killed. Over 400,000 fled to Georgia and Russia. Those who wished to stay had to convert to Muslim and change their names or they would be killed. These massacres spread to other areas of Asia Minor. By 1922, all the Christians in the area were either killed or pushed out. Evidence of the Hellenic towns, such as Sinope, Trapezous, Amisos, and Amasia can still be found on modern maps of Turkey.

This year is the 80^th anniversary of the Holocaust of Asia Minor. The seven first Christian churches mentioned in the Apocalypses (Revelation) of the new Testament established in the cities of Ephesos, Smyrni, Pergamos, Thiateira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodikeia (also known as the seven stars or lamps) were destroyed. The country of Turkey was built upon the ashes of these ancient cities and Greek Christian churches.

The Consul stressed that these events should never be forgotten. This history should be taught to those of Hellenic descent all around the globe. We must forgive but we must not forget.

Centre: Pontion President Christos Kaskamanidis and the Consul of Greece, Eleni Lianidou, with members of the Pontion Society. To their left: George Papaspyrou, president of the Greek Orthodox Community of East Vancouver. To their right: Rev. Fr. Dorotheos Tryfonopoulos. Also second from left is the president of the Hellenic Canadian Congress of BC Peter Capadoucas.

Remembering their heroic struggles

On Saturday, May 25, a dinner dance was held at the hall of the Greek Orthodox Community of East Vancouver (the basement of the SS. Nicholas & Dimitrios Church) in memory of all those Hellenes who were killed in Pontos or were forced to flee from there over eighty-five years ago. Some of the descendants of those people gathered together to remember this dark period in history.

A buffet dinner was served. There was plenty of food and the atmosphere was congenial. The president of the Pontion Society Christos Kaskamanidis stated the heroic struggles of their ancestors should be celebrated and not be forgotten. The history and the culture of that ancient region should be taught to the children, grandchildren and future generations. He demonstrated some of that culture by playing, on accordion, some of the popular music of Pontos.

Hellenes from Pontos all over the world commemorate this day; the Holocaust of Asia Minor and the blood they paid to the Turks.

Some of the people enjoying the Pontos dances, carrying on the traditions of their forefathers.

The right people at the right time

Father Dorotheos was the first priest of the Greek Orthodox Community of East Vancouver (SS. Nicholas and Dimitrios Church) and is now officially retired. He is still actively working as a priest though, going to serve at churches or communities across British Columbia that have no regular priest or filling in for other priests when they need to take a few days off. When Father Dorotheos arrived in Vancouver in 1978, the only thing the Greek Orthodox Community of East Vancouver owned was its name. Although times were difficult, within four or five years, through the hard work and dedication of the priest as well as that of the Board of Directors, the members, the founders and other people, the church was ready to serve the people. Should the Surrey community, after ten years and five priests later, not also have had its own church by now? It only has an old dance hall that doubles as a church only for a few hours every week.

Father John Contoravdis, the first priest of the Surrey Community, served there for over five years but when he left there was a lot of dissention within that Community. The priest and the boards could not work together. There the founders of the Community were pushed out instead of encouraged to stay and help build community. When Father John first came there were over two hundred members but when he left membership had dwindled drastically. It was also Father John who first allowed the practice of using the premises as both a dance hall and church. The following priests could not seem to break this practice. Father John must have selective memory as on his last visit to Surrey on the occasion of the name day of the Surrey Community he could not even remember who had brought him there or who the first president was. He only gave credit to one president and the rest were conveniently forgotten. Was it his purpose to scratch scars that were beginning to heal? The current priest, Father Ioannis Kaoukakis, has a difficult enough road ahead of him, trying to rebuild the community and the trust of the people without someone coming from another country to open old wounds. He has a difficult task ahead, to ensure that a new church will be built in the not too distant future.

One also wonders how long it will take the board of the Surrey Community to finally get their “act” together. Past boards could not seem to get their address straightened out even after constant reminders. After ten years, letters for the Community and church are still being sent to the home of one of the founders, who was also the first official president. These include letters from the Archdiocese, one of which just arrived a few days ago. Surely someone on the board of that Community should have the ability or the inclination to write to where these letters come from, to correct the address.

The board and the priest have to work hard, to reach out to all the Hellenes in the area, members or not, those who attend church regularly or not. They have to be more open to all as only with love, rebuilt trust and good planning will the church even be built.