The Holy Metropolis of New Jersey awarded the Golden Cross to Archon Demosthenes “Demos” Vasiliou at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Upper Darby on Friday evening, recognizing decades of service to the Church and the Greek-American community. The Golden Cross is a distinction awarded by the Metropolis to individuals whose service has been sustained over time.
He never set out to be honored. He set out to serve.
As the congregation responded with “Axios” (“Worthy”), the moment reflected years of steady work within the parish and beyond.
Honored at his home parish
“It’s a special privilege to get this award at my home church,” he said, reflecting on a parish he has served for decades.
Vasiliou has been a member of the parish council and its former president for many years. He describes St. Demetrios not simply as a place of worship, but as a community that has shaped his life.
Even in the moment of recognition, his focus remained elsewhere.
Accepting the award, he spoke of others in the parish who, in his words, “deserve an award like this and more,” people who have given much of their lives to the Church. He accepted the honor, he said, in part on their behalf.
He had been invited, as he is each year, to participate in the service. Knowing he would be present, His Eminence Metropolitan Apostolos chose that moment, in front of his family and parish, to present the award.
“I didn’t expect it,” Vasiliou said. As the priest approached, he recalls thinking, “What are they going to do now?” When the cross was placed around his neck and the congregation responded with “Axios,” he said he was so overwhelmed that he “didn’t even look” out into the church.
When he gathered himself, his thoughts turned to his family.
With his children and grandchildren in attendance, he said he hoped the moment might encourage them “to do more in their lives for the church.” For someone who has long believed that service should come without expectation of recognition, seeing the next generation present in that moment was what stayed with him most.
Decades of service across the Church and the community
Born in Athens and raised in the Peloponnesian village of Vrondamas near Sparta, Vasiliou came to Philadelphia in 1969. He went on to study civil engineering at Temple University before co-founding Astra Foods, a company that grew into a major producer of Philadelphia-style beef and chicken products.
He is an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and a member of Leadership 100, and has been active for many years in the Metropolis of New Jersey, including service on the Metropolitan Council. He describes the Metropolis as something that has been “in his heart for many years,” from the tenure of Metropolitan Evangelos to today under Metropolitan Apostolos.
For Vasiliou, supporting the local parish extends naturally to supporting the wider Church, including the Metropolis and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. If recognition like this encourages others to become more involved, he sees that as part of its purpose.
Beyond the Church, his involvement has extended into Greek-American civic life. He has held leadership roles in the Federation of Hellenic American Societies of Philadelphia and Delaware Valley, the Peloponnesian Society, the Hellenic American National Council, and has been active in The Order of AHEPA.
Continuing the work
Today, Vasiliou and his wife Kathlene live in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. They are the parents of Nikki and Manolis Poulopoulos, John and Renee Vasiliou, and Chris Vasiliou, and grandparents to five grandchildren: Alexandra, Katerina, Demosthenes, Flora, and Katerina.
Looking ahead, he says that, health permitting, he will continue his work as he always has.
For Vasiliou, the recognition changes nothing. He plans to keep serving his parish and his Metropolis with the same consistency that defined the years leading up to this moment.