The Greek Orthodox community of St. Augustine commemorated the 257th anniversary of Greek Landing Day with a day-long program that honored the city’s earliest Greek settlers and ushered in new leadership at the St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine.
The observance began on 26 June, in the narthex of the Chapel of St. Photios, where Metropolitan Dimitrios of Xanthos, V. Rev. Maximos Politis, Rev. Fr. Gregory Stamkopoulos, Rev. Dn. Athanasios Kartsonis and event chair, Thomas Lekas, president of the parish council of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in St. Augustine, let the annual commemoration of the souls of the 500 Greeks who came to America in 1768 under the British Indentured Servitude Act.
Archbishop Elpidophoros of America sent his heartfelt greetings marking the courage of the valiant immigrants and expressed gratitude to Polexeni Maouris Hillier for being a faithful steward to their legacy over the past two decades.
Mayor Nancy Sikes-Kline presented the City of St. Augustine Greek Landing Day Proclamation to Archon Carl R. Hollister, the new Executive Director of St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine.
The faithful then proceeded to the Tolomato Cemetery for the blessing of the settler’s graves by the Orthodox clergy and V. Rev. Timothy Lindenfelser, Bishop’s Chancellor for Canonical Affairs of the Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine. Red carnations were left on the vault of Lucy Darling, the daughter of Ioannis Ioannopolis.
Led by evzone, Mark Lasoff, the assembly proceeded to the Ioannis Ioannopolis sculpture in the Garden of Educators of the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse. Mrs. Stella Kokolis spoke of the placement of the statue and the new plaque citing those responsible for the bust that was created by Demetrios Talaganis in 2019.
Mrs. Kokolis also introduced Father Gregory Stamkopoulos, Director of Greek Education for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Flowers were also presented to Mrs. Kokolis and Mrs. Hillier on behalf of Elaine Fraser, owner of the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse.
A formal reception followed at the Shrine, which was hosted by members of the Sts. Anargyroi Philoptochos Chapter of St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church in Jacksonville. Paula Marchman Lekas and the ladies of the Kimisis Tis Theotokou Philoptochos Chapter and members of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in St. Augustine hosted the Greek Landing Day Banquet itself.
Archon Anthony Megas, 1st VP of the St. Photios Foundation served as the masters of ceremonies, introducing the dais after the invocation was offered by Metropolitan Dimitrios, assisted by Dn. Kartsonis. Greetings were read from Shrine President Metropolitan Sevastianos of Atlanta, Supreme President of AHEPA Archon Savas Tsivicos, and President of the National Philoptochos Society, Debby George.
The Banquet dinner was underwritten and prepared by the Triantafyllopoulos family of the Athenian Owl, in Jacksonville, FL.
V. Rev. Maximos Politis offered his insight on the holiday and introduced the keynote speaker, Mrs. Hillier. She in turn shared a Shrine memory regarding each and every guest in attendance, from the wisdom and insight of Metropolitan Dimitrios, the steadfast support through the years of the Hon. Ramelle Petroglou, former mayor of St. Augustine and the Shrine Founder families, representatives from the three area churches, Flagler College, community institutions and government agencies, and AHEPA family members.
Mrs. Hillier will step away on 11 July, trusting the Shrine to Carl and Cynthia Hollister and to Shrine Manager Gina Bingman. In her introduction of Carl and Cynthia Hollister, Mrs. Hillier quoted her husband Allan who said, “Carl, Polly would not be leaving St. Photios unless she knew the Shrine would be in good hands.”
Metropolitan Dimitrios, assisted by Carl Hollister presented the St. Photios medal to two individuals.
First, to Mrs. Stella Kokolis, president of the Pan Greek American Teachers Federation for her decade of Shrine promotion within the Greek education system and for providing the statue of Ioannis Ioannopolis in the Garden of Educators at the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse. The second to trustee emeritus, Archon Manuel Tissura who served over 25 years on the St. Photios Foundation, raising over $100,000 and designing the Hierarchs Exhibit in the Creed Room of the Shrine Museum.
The evening ended with the parish of Holy Trinity presenting a memorial brick honoring the service of Allan and Polly Hillier. This brick will be installed in the parish courtyard.
