Cosmos Philly
Faithful Gather for Great Vespers and Paniyiri at Panagia Soumela
Worshippers and families gathered Saturday at Panagia Soumela in West Milford for Great Vespers, Pontian music and the first day of the annual August paniyiri.
Advertisement
Latest Stories
Greek Name Days This Week: August 16 to August 22, 2026
Greek name days for August 16 to 22, 2026, including Gerasimos, Apostolos, Serafim, Stamatis, Arsenios, Flora, Theocharis, Samuel, and Orestis.
1,800-Year-Old Asklepios and Telesphoros Statue Group Unearthed at Aspendos
A 2.2-meter Roman-era marble group found along Theatre Street depicts the Greek god of medicine with Telesphoros, the deity associated with recovery after illness.
AHI Accepting Applications for Washington Foreign Policy Internship
College students and recent graduates can apply year-round for AHI’s Washington internship, which combines policy research with work on issues involving Greece and Cyprus.
What Archaeologists Found Inside Cappadocia’s Rock-Carved Byzantine Church
The early 13th-century sanctuary sits within a rock-cut settlement around Nevşehir Castle and preserves wall paintings linked to Cappadocia’s Orthodox Christian communities under Seljuk rule.
Our Supporters
In the Community
Greek American life, institutions, and people
St. George Cathedral in Philadelphia Seeks Office Administrator
The Center City Greek Orthodox Cathedral is accepting applications for a weekday administrative position to support its office and daily operations.
Greek Name Days This Week: August 9 to August 15, 2026
August 15 brings one of Greece’s biggest name-day celebrations, with Panagiotis, Panagiota, Maria, Despoina, and dozens of related names joining those celebrated throughout the week.
Orthodox Youth Invited to Enter ‘Green Patriarch’ Poster Contest
Orthodox students ages 5 to 18 may submit hand-drawn artwork honoring Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s 35 years of leadership and environmental advocacy.
AHEPA Honors Service, Business and Religious Freedom at Philadelphia Banquet
The closing banquet of AHEPA’s Philadelphia convention honored Pantelis Boumpouras, Pete and Gus Pahides, and Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, while recognizing George Horiates for his work organizing the weeklong gathering.
Common Mistakes Greek Americans Make When Applying for Greek Citizenship
Greek Americans often approach citizenship as a family-history project. Greek authorities read the file differently: as a legal chain that must be proven through records.
From Greece & Cyprus
Politics, society, and current affairs
Greece Approves New Tourism Development Rules for Islands and High-Pressure Areas
Greece’s new tourism framework raises minimum plot sizes for hotels in heavily developed destinations, adds protections for islands and coastal areas, and directs investment toward places with less tourism activity.
Americans Rank Second Among Non-Dom Buyers in Greece Sotheby’s Records
U.S. buyers made up 12% of the luxury brokerage’s non-dom transactions from 2024 through mid-2026, behind a much larger British share.
Greece Reports 65 West Nile Virus Cases, 23 in Latest Week
Greece has reported 65 locally acquired West Nile virus cases through August 5, including 23 diagnosed or reported in the previous week. Most were linked to Attica, and EODY is urging mosquito precautions nationwide.
Moglena Castle Opens to Visitors After €1.85 Million Restoration
The Byzantine fortress near Chrysi in Pella has opened to the public after work stabilized its walls and added visitor routes, signs, viewing areas, restrooms and lighting.
New Testimony Details 2017 Exhumations After Cyprus’ Athalassa Hospital Bombing
An archaeologist and former nurse have recounted the improvised burials that followed the 1974 Turkish air attack and the 2017 search for victims’ remains.
Cultural Life
Heritage, language, and the arts
Stelios Ramfos, Philosopher of Modern Greek Identity, Passes Away at 87
The Greek philosopher and writer spent decades examining how Orthodoxy, Byzantium, and Western thought shaped modern Greek society.
New Ossa Museum Traces a Shoemaking Tradition That Reached America
The Shoemaker’s House near Thessaloniki follows Ossa’s cobblers from a documented 19th-century guild to family footwear businesses in northern Greece and migration as far as Argentina.
Lakis Halkias, Singer of Greek Folk and Popular Music, Dies at 82
The Ioannina-born singer spent four years in the United States and Canada during a career that ranged from Epirote folk music and rebetiko to laiko and Greek art song.
Three Former LAGFF Discovery Days Selections Receive €1.065 Million from Eurimages
Films by Yianna Americanou, Elina Psykou and Iris Baglanea were among 33 international co-productions selected in the European fund’s second financing round of 2026.
Theodoros Papakostas Revisits ‘The Other Half’ of Ancient Greece
The Archaeostoryteller’s latest book traces the Greek cities of southern Italy and Sicily, presenting Magna Graecia as a central part of the ancient Greek world.
Featured Sponsors
Interviews
Voices from our community
Events
What’s coming up
Who celebrates today
Obituaries & Memorials
Remembering members of our community
Dorothy Suflas
A lifelong member of the local Greek Orthodox community, Suflas helped establish St. Thomas in Cherry Hill and remained active with the Daughters of Penelope for decades. Her funeral will be held Thursday, August 13.
Filia Plianthos
Filia Plianthos, who shared more than 50 years of marriage with her late husband, Panagiotis, passed away at age 90. She is survived by two sons, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
Anastasia Dinoulis
Born in Karditsa, Greece, Anastasia Dinoulis worked as a seamstress in Philadelphia before spending two decades at Atlantic City casinos and nine years at English Creek Academy.
Angelo Stamatogianis
A Greek immigrant and longtime New Jersey restaurateur, he spent 25 years building the Oyster Bay Restaurant into a familiar gathering place in Forked River.
Christos “Chris” Katsifis
Christos C. Katsifis, a Greek-born engineer, restaurateur and longtime Central New Jersey resident, passed away at age 90.
George Panagiotis Kousoulis
George Panagiotis Kousoulis built a long career in South Jersey restaurants and supported church and scholarship efforts honoring his daughter Danielle, a victim of the 9/11 attacks.