Welcoming the Voice, the family that published the now-closed Chronicle extended their congratulations and blessings. Publishers Behrakis, Chryssis and Koumantzelis "have had a long and exemplary record of selfless service to the Hellenic American community and to our beloved Archdiocese," wrote Chronicle editor Nancy Agris Savage in an article for the new paper's inaugural edition. Agris described the Voice publishers as "honorable," with "hearts squarely placed in dedication to America, Greece and Orthodoxy."

A journalist who has penned a book of interviews with accomplished Greek-Americans has been appointed editor of the Voice. Effie Lascarides is the author of Apollo's Legacy: The Hellenic Torch in America at the Dawn of the New Millenium. Lascarides, a native of New York, moved to Athens in her early twenties and worked in business and journalism, becoming a columnist for a regional newspaper serving the Mytilenean communities of Athens, England, and New York. Having returned to America in the late nineties, Lascarides makes her home in Rhode Island.

Father Brendan Pelfrey of the Annunciation Church in Houston, Texas, writes the newspaper's religious column. The paper also includes a recipe corner, a social calendar, and Faces and Places, described by editor Lascarides as "a social, academic, political, cultural, and religious column of events that have taken place relating to Hellenism." Sophia Nibi, familiar to readers of the Greek-American Review, is among the newspaper's contributors, who also include Dr. Elaine Montouris, Chris Janus, and Aurelia.

Recent editions of the Hellenic Voice have included an exclusive article on an Orthodox Theology program being established at Harvard, coverage of developments in Cyprus and Greece, and reports on social and cultural events throughout the New England region. The paper, based in Natick, MA, welcomes letters, press releases, and community news from its readers. Electronic submissions should be sent as e-mail attachments to editor@thehellenicvoice.com. The preferred format is Microsoft Word. The newspaper's regular mailing address is 209 West Central
Street, Suite 120, Natick, MA 01760.

More Headline News

The Ecumenical Patriarchate and a committee representing the Archdiocese of America have announced an agreement concerning the American church's new Charter. But sources from around the Orthodox community say that in fact the Patriarchate rejected key provisions of the proposed Charter, indicating it is not ready to allow more autonomy for the Church of America. By Robert Herschbach

What is the Divorce Rate
for Greek Orthodox Couples?

During a period of 23 years over which figures were compiled by the Archdiocese, there were 121,587 marriages and 16,981 divorces. Using these figures alone, the divorce rate would be 14% of the total Orthodox marriages, falling far below the US national average of approximately 43%. By Christos and Mary Papoutsy

Greek Laws dealing with purchase
of property in Greece

With patience, persistence and good legal advice, home-buying dreams of Greek-Americans can materialize, resulting in closer ties to ancestral lands and fine educational opportunities for youngsters. By Christos and Mary Papoutsy

"You are to leave this place. You will have three days to gather your things. You will take only what you can carry." With an officer's shouts, the three-thousand-year history of Pontic Greeks in Turkey came to a violent end. Stripped of everything she had ever held dear, young Sano saw her family members perish, one after the other. By Nina Gatzoulis