A weekend of celebrating Greek culture and heritage kicks off Friday in Springfield.
Blue and white stripes are flying over Court Square after officials gathered at Springfield City Hall Wednesday – two days ahead of the start of “Glendi” – the annual Greek cultural festival in the city’s North End.
Put on by Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, the festival celebrates all things Hellenic – complete with Glendi and Cretan dancers, traditional music and plenty of loukoumades, baklava and other dishes. Organizers say the festival draws thousands of visitors.
Speaking at a special raising of the Greek flag to mark the upcoming occasion, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno said this year’s festival is especially important.
“It's a very philanthropic congregation, and we really need to help out the historical site, for the spiritual wisdom that comes out of there, and, of course, the Greek hospitality,” he said at the event.
Part of the premises is still being worked on after a lightning bolt struck it, leading to significant damage and an ongoing restoration project that, given high costs, has left its members working to raise funds amid the festival.
“We will be launching a capital campaign in another week, and that is to help us offset the cost of the bell tower restoration, which is over a million dollars, and we do have some more restoration to do on the cathedral, overall,” said Despina Costa. “So, as the mayor said, no support is too little, and the reason we're there is because we've been supported for years, and we look forward to that continuing so that we can pass along our Greek Orthodox faith, which is our identity and our location and the North End of Springfield, which we are very, very proud of”
Throughout the flag raising ceremony, local lawmakers, including Hampden and Hampshire Senator John Velis, 12th Hampden State Representative Angelo Puppolo, and Hampden Senator Adam Gomez praised the church and the city’s Greek-American community – noting “Greek hospitality” throughout the event.
Gomez recalled growing up near the cathedral, calling it a staple of the city. Also speaking at the event was his father, Gumersindo Gomez, a founder of the Puerto Rican Veterans Association of Massachusetts as well as a Veterans Outreach Center.
Pointing to the cathedral’s Greek Cultural Center and those who specifically helped him and other veterans in the past, the senior Gomez hailed the organization for its support and generosity over the years.
“I am so grateful to the Greek Cultural Center,” he said. “The community or the person, the city or the nation that helps and provides for our veterans are in my heart. That is a mission that the Lord has given to me – to ensure that we help those who can’t help themselves. And I carry that for the last 37 years, after I retired from military services, and opened up the outreach center.”
Glendi runs from Friday through Sunday.
