S INSIDE: Please See Bringing the news W Our Annual to generations of E Easter Insert The National Herald Greek- Americans N c v A WEEKLY GREEK-AMERICAN PUBLICATION www.thenationalherald.com VOL. 16, ISSUE 812 May 4-10, 2013 $1.50 Astoria St. Constantine Maroulis Demetrios Dazzles in Broadway Priest: on Musical Jekyll & Hyde Pascha By Penelope Karageorge “It is fun to be Hyde,” Maroulis Special to The National Herald admits. “I think everyone has that fantasy within themselves Father Nektarios Constantine Maroulis rocked – to be able to break out from TV’s American Idol in 2005, our shell, to discover of all of Papazafiropoulos turning us on with his person - this power and drive and pas - ality, his singing, and the look: sion.” Explains Holy Week lowing curly locks that en - Maroulis, 37, determined in hanced rather than detracted childhood to make his career on TNH Staff from his sinuous masculinity. the stage. He attributes a great This Greek-American star had deal of his success to his older ASTORIA – Orthodoxy is not arrived. After winning a Tony brother Athan, a recording part of typical daily life in Amer - nomination for leading actor in artist, record producer and role ica, and Pascha is not in the air a musical in Rock of Ages, he is model. The other big boost this week as it is in Greece – conquering Broadway again came from American Idol where though there are moments in with the lead roles in Jekyll & he placed sixth and made a dra - Astoria when one can feel it. Hyde, a darkly thrilling musical matic impression. Archimandrite Fr. Nektarios Pa - drama that probes the mystery “American Idol was my MFA pazafiropoulos has been the of good and evil. “Maroulis’ per - program, like graduate studies Dean of St. Demetrios Cathedral formance is a triumph of verbal in life, in the arts. What a won - since last August, and he grew pyrotechnics,” Entertainment derful experience! Before it hap - up in the world’s most famous Weekly praised. The part has al - pened, I had graduated from the Greek Neighborhood. He spoke ready earned him a Drama Boston Conservatory. Then I was to TNH about Holy Week and League nomination for distin - off to Williamstown Theatre Fes - Pascha in America. guished performer. tival and toured in a production “Holy Week does become the As the constrained Dr. Jekyll, of Rent. I had built my credits main focus of the community, Maroulis moves through Lon - up, and I had a lot of experi - but not necessarily of people’s A Patriarch’s Paschal Pilgrimmage don fog in bowler hat, his hair ence, but not with the kind of lives. Holy Week is an opportu - pulled tightly back. As Hyde, fan base that Idol brings. Imag - nity for priests to deepen and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew takes a poignant stroll during Holy Week through the fields Maroulis struts, leaps, flings that ine some of those young kids strengthen the congregation’s of the island of Imbros, his beloved birthplace, where ethnic cleansing by Turkey has reduced trademark hair and hits the glo - experience of Orthodoxy.” the Greek Orthodox population to from 7000 in the 1960s to 200 people today. rious high notes with aplomb. Continued on page 10 The dense schedule of ser - vices and fasting intensifies spir - itual life for clergy and laity. “All those things remind priests that our purpose is spiritual, that in New Wave of Greeks Flock to Astoria the midst of the administrative work, we must not forget that we are here for the spiritual ful - By Kristina Bogos Danae Vasiliadou immi - dent visas. fillment of our parishioners.” N.Y. Daily News grated to Queens from Thessa - “Now, it’s mainly profession - He said, “Holy Week is the loniki just three months ago. als. Either they are doctors, pinnacle of the year’s ecclesias - Dimitris Pinos has been the While she struggled to find a teachers, people who have some tical celebrations. It brings our manager of Mediterranean job, she found solace within As - kind of degree already in purpose as priests into focus and Foods, a Greek supermarket in toria’s Greek community. Greece,” Alexiou said. “Here reminds all of us why Christ Astoria, Queens, N.Y. for 33 “It doesn’t really feel like I (immigrants) are willing to take came, to die for our sins and by years. In recent months, about moved to the States. It’s like I any job to support their family that means, to save us, if we 10 Greek immigrants come into moved to a village in Greece,” and themselves.” chose… if we want to be saved.” the store every day asking for said Vasiliadou, 25. “Everybody Others, like George Hat - He agreed that Holy Week job applications, Pinos said. is Greek, the places are Greek.” zopoulos, 22, from the suburbs “removes us from our daily rou - “Everyday I see new people With the economic crisis of Athens, moved to Astoria tine and focuses our attention coming, which is a surprising deepening, about 5,000 Greeks three years ago to live with his on the Church and creates more thing for us,” Pinos told the New fled their homeland for Astoria grandparents and attend college times for prayer…People who York Daily News. in the past year, compared to in the U.S. He is a part-time stu - don’t fast throughout the year Astoria is once again living about 2,000 a year in the previ - dent at Queensborough Com - are making an effort to fast dur - up to its reputation as a home ous half decade, according to munity College, juggles two jobs ing Holy Week.” away from home for Greeks as Nicholas Alexiou, professor of and interns at a music studio in “It is our responsibility to it embraces a new influx of im - sociology at Queens College. Long Island City. take that time that we have with migrants fleeing economic tur - Alexiou has studied Greek im - “I’ve been doing things I them, to reach out and make moil in the Mediterranean coun - migration to Astoria for over 20. could never possibly think to do them realize it should be a long try. But the new emigres also Many are under the Visa in Greece,” Hatzopoulos said re - term commitment, rather than face an uncertain future in the Waiver Program and come to cently while on break at his job a temporary one,” He said. United States as they try to nav - test the waters with a temporary at Oveila restaurant on 30th Ave. TNH/COSTAS BEJ Papazafiropoulos was born in igate complex immigration three-month long visa, while Dimitris Pinos, who has been the manager of Mediterranean the United States and attended rules. others arrive with tourist or stu - 1Continued on page 4 Foods in Astoria for 33 years, seen above with two employees. St. Demetrios’ schools through the eighth grade. He studied electrical engineering at Poly - technic University and earned a master’s degree in engineering Dendias Discusses Security and Golden Dawn Archbishop for communication networks. After working as an engineer to ten years, he earned a master By Eleni Kalogeras “Citizen Security and The Rule tice in an international acade - which are the results of the Demetrios in degree in Theology at St. TNH Staff Writer of Law” at the event sponsored mic setting at CUNY, an institu - Greek crisis. The ministry is re - Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological by the Office of the President of tion with 50,000 students from sponsible for defending the hu - Seminary, while he was work - NEW YORK – During his pre - the College and the Center for all over the world. man right of refugees, minori - Pastoral Visit ing. sentation at the John Jay Col - International Human Rights. A Since 2007, that includes stu - ties, and immigrants and His father is from Pelopon - lege of Criminal Justice, the re - reception followed in the Anya dents from Greece, who partici - fighting against racism, in addi - nesos and his mother grew up ply of Nikos Dendias was and Andrew Shiva Art Gallery. pate in programs with which tion to working for the protec - By Eleni Kalogeras in Athens with roots near Naf - immediate to questions – direct "Respect for human dignity Dendias’ ministry cooperates, tion of the citizen. TNH Staff Writer and indirect – that implied and tolerance of diversity are especially the Center for Secu - Travis introduced political Continued on page 3 Greek police departments are fundamental elements of Greek rity Studies (KEMEA), as was science professor George An - NEW YORK – The attention of sheltering members of the and European culture. We all acknowledged by the minister dreopoulos, the director of the the passersby near the front Golden Dawn Party. owe those principles our re - and Jeremy Travis, John Jay’s college’s Center for Interna - steps of the Church of the Trans - “The Greek government is spect, especially the political President, who introduced and tional Human Rights. He is also figuration in Corona wasn’t obligated to oppose the violent parties and the elected repre - thanked the former for his Professor of Political Science at drawn by the cluster of photog - Greece Gets behavior and activity of extrem - sentatives in Parliament, who speech. the CUNY Graduate Center. raphers, or by the parishioners ist, Neo-Nazi organizations,” the have sworn to obey the Consti - Travis noted the significance Andreopoulos is working inside who were impatiently Minister of Public order and Cit - tution and the laws.” of the visit to the College of a with the Ministry and KEMEA checking the time on their cell Loans, More izen Protection declared, while He seized the attention of the minister with a "Strategic on the College’s conference on phone.