St. Augustine, FL— July 9, 2026 — On Friday, June 26, 2026, in the narthex of the Chapel of St. Photios, our V. Rev. Fr. Maximos Politis of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in St. Augustine and Executive Director Archon Carl Hollister led the annual commemoration of the souls of the 500 Greeks who came to America in 1768 under the English Indentured Servitude Contract Act commemorating the 258th anniversary of the first Greeks coming to the new world.
Archbishop Elpidophoros of America sent heartfelt greetings highlighting the courage of the valiant immigrants and expressed gratitude to the entire St. Photios Foundation Inc. board of trustees for their commitment being faithful stewards of our most sacred St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine. Mayor-Elect and current commissioner of the city of St. Augustine, the honorable Cynthia Garris, made remarks on the significant contributions that Greek immigrants have made throughout our city, state, and nation. Mayor-Elect Garris presented the City of St. Augustine Greek Landing Day Proclamation to Executive Director Archon Carl R. Hollister.
The faithful proceeded to the Tolomato Cemetery for the blessing of the grave, by the V. Rev Fr. Maximos Poilitis, for Maria Giannopoulos Darling, the daughter of Ioannis Giannopoulos. The participants followed into the chapel at the Tolomato Cemetery where V. Rev. Fr. Maximos Politis blessed the Greek Orthodox Bronze Vigil Candle donated to the Tolomato Cemetery chapel by the St. Photios Foundation Inc.
Led by our clergy, the assembly proceeded to the Ioannis Giannopoulos sculpture in the Garden of Educators of the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse. Executive Director Archon Carl Hollister spoke of the significance and remarkable contributions to the early colonists made by Ioannis Giannopoulos. On behalf of the board of trustees Hollister expressed our sincere appreciation and gratitude to Mrs. Stella Kokolis for leading the coordination and fundraising efforts to make the sculpture created by Demetrios Talaganis in 2019 a reality for the Garden of Educators. St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine intern, from HCHC, Michael Lekos laid a wreath, donated by the Sts. Anargyri Ladies Philoptochos Chapter from St. John the Divine of Jacksonville, Florida, in front of the bust of Ioannis Giannopoulos.
All returned to the Shrine where a wonderful luncheon reception was hosted by the members of the Kimisis Tis Theotokou Ladies Philoptochos Society Chapter Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in St. Augustine.
Denise Brown, Jennifer Tratelis, and Kristen Brooks with their sisters of the St. Barbara Philoptochos Chapter of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Daytona Beach hosted our evening event. We concluded our commemoration for Greek Landing Day with the blessings of the Leaves of Remembrance by V. Rev. Fr. Maximos Politis, and the wreathes of remembrance for the early colonists, committing the leaves and wreaths into the intercoastal waterway on the Halifax River. V. Rev. Fr. Maximos Politis blessed and tossed the wreath of remembrance for Fr. Theoclitos who was the first Greek Orthodox priest to come to the new world in 1768. A wonderful reception followed in the church hall where the St. Barabara Philoptochos Chapter called up our Executive Director to present three meaningful donations to our most sacred shrine.