Parish History: The Seventies and Eighties - Decades of Transformation

As the new decade dawned, the parish leadership found itself able to turn creative attention to the many issues and problems that had been set aside in the three difficult transitional years that had just passed. With uncommon focus, the parish was able to transform itself into one of the most dynamic parishes in the Metropolis of Boston. This transformation had three facets-liturgical change, community outreach and the complete rebuilding of the parish complex.

At the outset, the Parish Council was resolutely determined to focus attention on the goal of eliminating the substantial mortgage debt remaining from the construction of the Educational Center. What can only be described as exciting and intense years followed, as the parish embarked on what would become one of the most sustained and creative fund-raising efforts in its history. The boards worked tirelessly to organize 10 annual fund-raising events and sustained this unprecedented pace of activity over the course of almost two decades.

Leading this extraordinary effort was a virtual honor roll of esteemed presidents who truly left their mark on the history of our parish. They included James Argeros, John Franggos, Orestes Tsaltas, James Metropolis, Carl Mattarocchia, Leonidas Zisis and Stephen Kalivas. Following their tireless example, the parish held uncounted carnivals, dances, dinners, cultural events, picnics and later, festivals. Over those many eventful years, hundreds of parishioners joined board members in an intense effort that, at its height, was raising more than $1,000 a week above the regular parish operating budget to amortize our debt and to fund desperately needed capital improvements to the parish infrastructure.

The list of accomplishments almost defies the imagination. In 1971 the Educational Center kitchen, which had remained an empty shell, was equipped as a fully functioning restaurant kitchen. In 1972 the roof of the church was replaced, and its restrooms were completely rebuilt. In 1973 in a project that took nine months to complete, the domes and cornices of the church were rebuilt, and the galvanized metal of the original construction was replaced with lead coated copper at a cost of $130,000.

By the end of that same year, the mortgage had been discharged, and the parish was officially free of debt. During the weekend of February 8-10, 1974, a gala celebration that included a vesper service, a liturgy of thanksgiving and a mortgage burning dinner was held with Bishop Iakovos of Apameia officiating. A commemorative album was also published, and the funds raised provided the impetus needed to maintain the extraordinary momentum of fund raising.

Working feverishly, the trustees and members of the parish went from achievement to achievement. Following the mortgage-burning ceremonies, the narthex of the church was completely rebuilt in the late spring of 1974, and the creaky wooden floor of the altar was replaced with new ceramic tile. Shortly thereafter, the trustees were notified that the Bougas property at 10 Paleologos Street, directly opposite the Educational Center, was for sale. An option to buy the property was negotiated, and on March 22, 1976, the General Assembly authorized its purchase at a cost of $36,000.

Within weeks of this purchase, Louis Karavolas, a past parish president, proposed to donate to the church two parcels of land abutting church property on Walnut Street together with their buildings. After lengthy negotiations involving the terms and conditions of this substantial gift, the church assumed the remaining $23,000 mortgage on one parcel and took title of the property on December 12, 1976.

Six months before, the General Assembly meeting of May 10, 1976, had authorized the air-conditioning of the Educational Center at a cost of $16,000. This project was completed in time for the first annual parish festival held on October 23-24, 1976. The festival was inaugurated at the initiative of Dr. Nicholas Marinakis who also served as the first festival chairman.

Another first for St. Vasilios at this time was the "Parishioner of the Year" award banquet initiated in 1977 to honor and recognize the selfless contribution, commitment and dedication to our community by one outstanding individual. Under the chairmanship of George M. Zolotas and his committee, this event was held at the St. Vasilios Educational Center with many friends, family and invited guests of the honoree. Master of ceremonies for the evening was John "Marco" Apostolides who was well known to each person honored.

The banquet event continued for 10 years until 1986. The individuals who were honored were: Hon. Nicholas Mavroules, Lygeri Mosholeas, Stephen Maistrellis, James Pappathanasi, Helen Shambos, Paul Meniates, James Xindaris, Catherine Apostolides, Louis Karavolas and Theodore Angelakis.

In 1977 the Parish Council, under the presidency of Atty. James Cotgageorge, decided that the gains of the past four years needed to be consolidated. At the same time, however, fund raising continued unabated to replenish parish reserves in preparation for any as yet uncertain developments. This decision was prophetic.

Within days of assuming the presidency in January of 1978, James Metropolis learned that the Kallelis family wished to sell its property next door to the church at 3 Paleologos Street. Hurried negotiations followed, and on April 17, 1978, the General Assembly authorized the purchase at a cost of $25,000. One month later, the Parish Council authorized the demolition of all buildings on church property along Walnut Street so that it could be used for desperately needed parking. The dust had not yet settled on the new parking areas when the Parish Council was advised that the Karahalis property at 8 Paleologos Street was for sale. After lengthy negotiations, a special General Assembly was called on November 22, 1978, and it authorized the purchase of the property from its then current owner, James Bougas, for the price of $47,000.

As the second year of his presidency began in 1979, few would have faulted James Metropolis for hoping for a respite from the fevered pace of the previous year. This respite, however, was not to be. In March of 1979, the Parish Council was informed by letter that the Angelakis property at the corner of Walnut and Paleologos Streets was for sale at a price of $120,000. Mr. Metropolis, sensing that time was of the essence, called a special meeting of the Parish Council for April 1, 1979.

The discussion was both contentious and protracted. Some members argued that the purchase of the property was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and would complete the development of the southwest portion of church property into further parking. While those opposing the purchase did not disagree, they nonetheless were fearful that yet another land purchase would push the parish to the point of financial and emotional exhaustion. As the discussion continued long into the night, the outcome remained very much in doubt. At 12:10 a.m. when the vote was taken, seven voted in favor, and seven voted against the purchase. All eyes turned to President Metropolis who would cast the deciding vote. After a moment of thought, he voted in favor of the purchase. A motion was then made for a unanimous vote, but the vote was 14 to 1 with Atty. Thomas Niarchos dissenting. When the General Assembly was held on June 11, 1979, however, Atty. Niarchos had decided that the purchase was in fact necessary. He fervently advocated for it during a lengthy debate and offered the necessary motion. The vote of the assembly was nearly unanimous; only two persons present voted against.

Mr. Metropolis, having served three momentous years as president, did not stand for re-election. He was succeeded by Carl Mattarocchia, who was the first non-Hellene and convert to the faith to be elected president. Mr. Mattarocchia became the education president. During his presidency the educational programs of the parish were examined and refined. The Greek School faculty was increased by three positions, the Church School introduced a new curriculum and the education budget was increased by 50%. At the same time, he faced the consequences of $750,000 in capital expenditures over the previous decade. Although $500,000 had been raised to offset these funds, more than $250,000 remained to be raised. This became the principal preoccupation of the succeeding boards throughout the 1980s. During the following seven years in which Leonidas Zisis, Basil Yankopoulos and Michael Karamas served as presidents, the entire debt was discharged so that by September of 1987, the parish was once again debt free.

It did not take long, however, for a new and serious problem to loom over the horizon. In December of 1987, the area endured a fierce winter storm that dumped large amounts of wet, heavy snow. The old Greek School flat roof was straining under the tremendous weight. When the wind blew, ominous creaking sounds could be heard. Concerned for the safety of our children, the Parish Council asked for a structural inspection of the building over the Christmas holiday.

When city building inspectors arrived, they were alarmed to find that in previous renovations to the building, completed years before, several bearing walls had been improperly removed, seriously compromising the structural integrity of the entire building. They were fearful that further heavy snowfall would place the building in danger of imminent collapse. The building's certificate of occupancy was revoked, and the school was locked and shuttered.

As the Church School struggled to find room for displaced classes, the new Parish Council, under the presidency of Stephen Kalivas, faced the unenviable task of deciding upon an appropriate course of action. None of the options it faced would prove to be easy or inexpensive. At the direction of President Kalivas a committee was formed to study the problem and recommend an appropriate course of action to the Parish Council. The president appointed a committee consisting of three engineers from the parish, George Pappas, Andrew Lalikos and John Karavolas, to study the problem and recommend an appropriate course of action. The committee met regularly throughout the months of January and February, carefully evaluating all of the possible options and alternatives, and on March 10, 1988, presented its findings to the Parish Council. They agreed that only two alternatives should be considered. The first was a complete rebuilding and restoration at an estimated cost of approximately $175,000 or the demolition of the school and the construction of a new building at a cost of about $1,100,000. At a General Assembly held on March 27, 1989, the membership of the church, citing, among other things, the historic connection of the building to the parish's immigrant founders, voted to rehabilitate the building at a cost not to exceed $250,000.

Just as Paul Apostolides had done in the construction of the Educational Center, the parish was fortunate enough to have another devoted member of the community, Anthony Koutzoukis, step forward to volunteer as the daily supervisor of the project working tirelessly with the structural engineer, the contractor and Fr. Demotses. Mr. Koutzoukis visited the site as many as three times a day often for hours at a time, as the work progressed. As a new roof and structural supports were added, work progressed on the installation of new electrical, plumbing and heating systems. As walls were opened, discoveries were made, and problems were revealed. The structural engineer was astonished to find that the building was constructed of terra cotta blocks rather than common cement blocks. It is thought to be one of only four remaining buildings in the country with this now rare construction and became the topic of a lengthy article in the American Journal of Structural Engineering.

Unfortunately, structural problems were also uncovered and needed to be urgently addressed. As change orders were authorized by Mr. Koutzoukis, costs rose in tandem, and completion dates were revised. After almost two years of effort, however, an essentially new building had emerged as a Phoenix out of the ashes, and the final punch list was completed on August 24, 1990. President Kalivas was able to announce that the complete cost of the project, $251,000, had been raised and that the parish remained debt free. At the end of the eventful three-year presidency of Mr. Kalivas, the Parish Council had also managed to address a long and exhaustive list of additional deferred building maintenance projects. As had been mentioned earlier, however, the extraordinary and tumultuous events of the two decades of the seventies and eighties were not restricted to land acquisition and issues of bricks and mortar. Liturgical change was also essential. The parish had continued its inevitable process of demographic transformation. In 1978, Elaine Rice became the first woman elected to the Board of Trustees. Inter-church marriages were rapidly becoming the rule rather than the exception. Non-Greek speaking households were rising dramatically in number.

As the parish continued to evolve, Fr. Demotses saw the absolute need to make the experience of worship relevant to a newly emerging and vitally important parish constituency. When he arrived in late December of 1967, all services of the church were conducted exclusively in Greek. His attempts to address the needs of this constituency by using English in worship services met with intense resistance, particularly among the parish elders who had represented the power structure of the past.

Although change and adaptation were imperative, the stubborn resistance took on added dimensions. His efforts were reported to the national Greek press, and Fr. Demotses found himself attacked in the now defunct Atlantis who accused him in a front-page article of being a traitor to Hellenism. Demanding the intervention of the Archdiocese, the Greek media sought his removal as pastor. After receiving the tacit approval of His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos in a personal conversation in the summer of 1974, however, Fr. Demotses pressed on with his efforts. The press quickly lost interest in the issue, and it faded into obscurity.

Fr. Demotses employed a strategy of gradualism in order to achieve the desired goal. English was introduced only in the first liturgy, and then only one sentence at a time, over a period of four years. The second liturgy continued to be celebrated entirely in Greek. By September of 1974, however, the first liturgy became the first in the Diocese of Boston to be celebrated entirely in English, and by the summer of 1978, all of the sacraments were also performed in English.

As a result, church attendance rose substantially, and the number of enrolled members began to increase as well. By the summer of 1980, the number of members exceeded 1,000 for the first time and continued to grow. The dramatic reforms of our educational and youth programs during the presidency of Mr. Mattarocchia, moreover, proved attractive to young families who joined the parish in ever-growing numbers. Throughout the decade of the eighties, the parish grew by an average of 50 families per year, until in 1990, it neared 1,400 families and had emerged as the single largest parish of the diocese.

As St. Vasilios continued to grow internally, both in numbers and programs, its place, influence and outreach in the larger community increased as well. This process of engagement, however, can be traced back over the previous three decades. It might accurately be said to have started in November of 1941, when George Skaliotis, as a member of the city council from Ward 4, became the first member of the parish to win elective office in the city. After serving two terms, he left office in 1945, and was succeeded as Ward 4 councilor in 1952 by George Perakis who also served two terms. Mr. Perakis, in turn, was succeeded by Charles M. Zolotas, who served one term ending in 1957. An important step forward was taken in November of 1963 when Nicholas Mavroules was elected in a citywide contest to the position of councilor-at-large. He became the first member of the parish to hold office outside of the heavily Greek-populated Ward 4. After running unsuccessfully for mayor in the election of 1965, he was elected mayor in November of 1967 to a term of office that began on January 1, 1968, the very same date that marked the beginning of the pastorate of Fr. Demotses.

The election of Nicholas Mavroules served as a catalyst for further participation of parish members in an ever-widening circle of civic affairs and public service. By the end of the decade of 1980, members of the church had distinguished themselves by election or appointment to the following offices: Chief Justice of the Commonwealth, Atty. Paul Liacos; Congressman, 6th Congressional District, Massachusetts, Nicholas Mavroules; Councilor-at-Large, City of Peabody, Stephen Tilas; Fire Chief, City of Peabody, Nicholas Gerakaris; House of Representatives, Theodore Speliotis; Deputy Fire Chiefs, City of Peabody, Peter Pappas and Anthony Koutzoukis; Deputy Superintendent of Schools, Peabody, Gregory Theokas; Light Commissioner, City of Peabody, George Panagopoulos; Member, Peabody Housing Authority, Minas Dakos; as well as a large number engaged in the practice of law and medicine, teachers, college and university professors, school principals and others.

Finally, in an effort to project the Orthodox faith and the parish in particular, Fr. Demotses participated in a very wide range of community service. At one point, Fr. Demotses served as a trustee of the Peabody Chapter of American Red Cross; as the only clergyman ever elected a trustee of Salem Hospital and as a founding member of its ethics committee; as the chairman of the Board of Health and Education Services, the largest provider of mental health services to underserved populations in the Commonwealth; and as the longest serving chairman of the Peabody Council on Aging, a municipal agency providing a wide range of social services to the elderly; and as a member of commissions and study groups too numerous to mention here. His church related activities included 13 years of service as a member of the Tribunal of the Diocese of Boston, a founding member of the National Presbyters Council, a Trustee of Hellenic College/Holy Cross and a member of its executive committee, and as a member of its adjunct faculty.

Although the end of the decade found the parish enjoying unprecedented influence and respect in the community and the diocese and had entered the mainstream of society and transformed itself from a small insignificant immigrant community into a powerhouse projecting the Orthodox faith, it nonetheless found itself facing a profound tragedy. In July of 1989, the Rev. George Christulides, the pastoral assistant of Fr. Demotses, was diagnosed with a terminal illness. In spite of intense treatment, that illness took its inevitable course, and he passed away on October 18, 1989, at the age of 32. In the course of the three years of his service to St. Vasilios, he had become a much-loved presence in the life of our parishioners, and the parish was plunged into deepest mourning. In a church packed to its absolute capacity with sorrowing parishioners, municipal officials, members of the Peabody Clergy Association, as well as 44 priests and two hierarchs of the Archdiocese, his solemn funeral was held on Saturday, October 22, 1989. His burial followed in Pittsburgh, PA, where his family resided.

Deeply pained by his loss, the members of the St. Vasilios Men’s Club initiated a drive to benefit his three-month old daughter, Thespina. The response was overwhelming and through their efforts and the generosity of parishioners, all his funeral expenses were paid by the parish, and a trust was established that would provide his beloved daughter with funds to cover completely the cost of her college education. Even at a moment of profoundest sorrow, our parish had found a way to give expression to its noblest instincts.

In 1990, the last year of his accomplished presidency, Mr. Kalivas appointed a special committee with an important mandate-to evaluate the condition of the buildings and grounds of the parish complex. The committee was to identify all deferred maintenance, establish capital priorities and develop a decade-long schedule of projects. The newly rebuilt Greek School building was in pristine condition; the Educational Center and church, however, were showing the inevitable wear and tear of constant use over decades. The church grounds, moreover, were in dire need of attention.

The committee worked diligently over the months between January and April and presented its findings to the Parish Council in May. The committee gave its highest priority to the refurbishment of the Educational Center. A long list of issues in the building that needed to be addressed had been developed. The Parish Council accepted the report and immediately began its implementation. Numerous projects were begun, and many were completed while others were ongoing when Mr. John Sambatakos assumed the mantle of the presidency in 1991.

The pace of activity quickened. As projects were undertaken, fund raising continued in tandem. Although substantial funds were being expended, the parish was able to remain debt free because of the generous response of parishioners. As projects were completed, new ones were undertaken in the order of priority that had been set by the report of the maintenance committee. In the summer of 1992, the church exterior received a badly needed painting.

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