WOBURN, MA – Fr. Demetrios Mott, a young priest ordained just three years ago, managed to rejuvenate – resurrect, more aptly – the historic parish of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary in Woburn, MA.
The Woburn parish is approximately 12 miles Northeast of Boston and it is the parish where the late Archbishop and President of Cyprus Makariosserved while doing graduate studies at Boston University.
Fr. Mott was ordained on the Sunday of Pentecost of 2015 and was assigned at the Woburn parish, which at that time had 200 families. Now it has 300, and the number is rising very week.
Mott told TNH that “with the help of God we are growing, there is a new dynamics in every aspect of the life of the parish.”
How did that happen? What attracted these new families? “We place much emphasis on youth and the programs of the children. Out Greek School is very strong now, also our Catechetical School and our youth programs.”
In speaking about the rejuvenation of the Greek School, which was withering and was getting ready to close, Mott said that “our principal, Mrs. Angeliki Kolokythras has done miracles, and please note, she offers her services voluntarily. When she came five years ago, there were only four children; today we have 60.” When Mott arrived, he and Kolokythrasexpanded the program. “We now have five teachers, we added a seventh grade, we have Kindergarten, and thus there will be future and hope for our school.”
He added that “our youth participation has increased and we now have 25 children and we have new programs. The oratorical festival of St. John Chrysostom takes place here; we have a good group.”
Mott also said that “I feel a special honor and blessing because Archbishop Makarios once served here. We have his archieratical throne in the church.”
We mentioned that many families have come from the neighboring community of St. Athanasius the Great in Arlington due to the serious problems there. He said “new persons come every Sunday from the suburbs of Burlington, Reading, and Stoneham, who are attracted because of the good programs we have for the youth and the parents are happy with that. I can’t tell you for sure where they come from. To the new families we open our arms and we embrace and accept them, as it should be done.”
Mott was born in Tarpon Springs, FL. He speaks Greek fluently, has a melodic voice, and knows ecclesiastical chanting very well. He is married and with his presbytera have two children: three years, and 17 months.
With an eye toward the future at Annunciation, Mott says: “I pray to God to have enough parishioners of all ages in order to have hope that this parish will be here for the next hundred years.”
Fr. Mott with Greek School Principal Angeliki Kolokytrhas, teachers and students during their Christmas party.
(Photo: Courtesy of Fr. Demetrios Mott)
ATHENS - A regulation in an omnibus bill will allow repatriated Greeks from Albania and the former Soviet Union to receive full national pensions, Labor and Social Protection Minister Kostis Hatzidakis said during a discussion in Greek Parliament on Tuesday.
FALMOUTH, MA – The police in Falmouth have identified the victim in an accident involving a car plunging into the ocean on February 20, NBC10 Boston reported.
PHILADELPHIA – The Federation of Hellenic Societies of Philadelphia and Greater Delaware Valley announced that the Evzones, the Presidential Guard of Greece will be participating in the Philadelphia Greek Independence Day Parade on March 20.
To purchase a gift subscription, please log out of your account, and purchase the subscription with a new email ID.
On April 2, 2021, we celebrated The National Herald’s 106th Anniversary. Help us maintain our independent journalism and continue serving Hellenism worldwide.
In order to deliver a more personalized, responsive, and improved experience, we use cookies to remember information about how you use this site. By Continuing to access the website, you agree that we will store data in a cookie as outlined in our Privacy Policy.
We use cookies on our site to personalize your experience, bring you the most relevant content, show you the most useful ads, and to help report any issues with our site. You can update your preferences at any time by visiting preferences. By selecting Accept, you consent to our use of cookies. To learn more about how your data is used, visit our cookie policy.
You’re reading 1 of 3 free articles this month. Get unlimited access to The National Herald. or Log In
You’ve reached your limit of free articles for this month. Get unlimited access to the best in independent Greek journalism starting as low as $1/week.