AFGLC HONORS MARILYN
ROUVELAS, POPULAR AUTHOR
Tampa, Florida. At its recent Tenth Annual Educational Forum held in Tampa, March 3-5, The American Foundation for Greek Language and Culture (AFGLC) recognized Marilyn Rouvelas of Alexandria, Virginia, for her outstanding contributions to Hellenic education.
Professor
Chris P. Tsokos, President of AFGLC, in honoring Ms. Marilyn Rouvelas,
stated: “The officers, board of directors and members of AFGLC are
indeed hornored to recognize you for your outstanding contributions to the
promotion of Hellenism and
the preservation of Greek culture.
Though your
writing and journalistic communications, you have eloquently demonstrated
the aims and objectives of the educational mission of AFGLC, and for that
we are very grateful.”
Emmanuel Rouvelas, Professor Chris P. Tsokos,
and the award recipient Marilyn Rouvelas
Ms. Rouvelas is the author of the perennially popular Guide to Greek Traditions and Customs in America, the “bible” of the Greek-American family desirous of maintaining its ties with its Hellenic roots. The book began as a fund-raising project for her Maryland parish and since its initial publication in 1993 has entered a second edition, all proceeds continuing to go to St. George’s Church. It combines Orthodox traditions, history, folk customs and recipes. Few works, either scholarly or popular, have done so much to keep so many people in touch with their Greek heritage in the English-speaking world.
Ms. Rouvelas, a native of Spokane, attended the University of Washington in Seattle, where she met and married Emmanuel Rouvelas, who introduced her to Orthodoxy and Hellenism. She obtained her degree in history from the American University in Washington, DC, where Mr. Rouvelas practices law. Ms. Rouvelas has conducted research for the Atlantic Monthly magazine and worked in programming production for public television and Discovery Channel.
Extremely active in the Orthodox Church, Ms. Rouvelas has served on the Archdiocesan Council Interfaith Committee and is currently on the national committee for St. Basil’s Academy Archdiocesan Center for Family Care. She is especially involved in efforts to help the dwindling Christian population of the Holy Land. She has edited the book Sacred Songs: Studies in Byzantine Hymnography by Eva Catafygiotou Topping, and written “parents’ notes” for the catechism Christina Learns the Sacraments by Maria Khoury.
The Rouvelases have two children and three grandchildren.
AFGLC is honored to recognize the contributions of Marilyn Rouvelas, Greek not by birth but by spirit, to the perpetuation of the Hellenic heritage.
Marilyn Rouvelas acknowledging the AFGLC award
