West Deptford, NJ – What a celebration it will be. A half century in the clergy. He is known throughout the Greek Orthodox community of the Delaware Valley for his his warmth and candor, not to mention his sense of humor. Father Steven Vlahos will be honored this Sunday evening at Adelphia Restaurant. The Greek-American community will come out to honor one of their own spiritual leaders who is well loved and respected by peers and parishioners alike.
Father Vlahos first arrived in the area in 1971. It was the beginning of St. Thomas Greek Orthodox church in Cherry Hill, NJ. He came to us via Arkansas and before that, the windy city of Chicago where he was born and raised. Forty years later, he is regarded as a spiritual and insightful leader of our community. His ability to organize and sustain churches wherever he is assigned is well known amongst his peers. His current parish, St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox church of Wildwood New Jersey, has been his home since 1993. He has been instrumental in sustaining this parish, and getting the state of New Jersey to put up a 1.5 million dollar sea wall to protect his church from the Atlantic ocean that lies at it’s backyard.
Although he will be honored this weekend for his 50 years of service, he does not plan on retiring. The banquet to honor Father Steven Vlahos is open to the Greek-American community. Tickets are $50.00 each and the doors open at 4:00 pm. For more information or directions, please visit Adelphia Restaurant.
Next month, an exclusive interview with Father Stephen Vlahos is scheduled with Cosmos Philly, and will be sponsored by the Greek American Heritage Society of Philadelphia (GAHSP). The GAHSP Interview Series is a continuing effort to document the history of the Greek-American community of Philadelphia.