Faith, Service, and φιλοξενία.

Every year, our parish joyfully welcomes our neighbors from near and far to share in our celebration of faith, service, and Greek culture, especially philoxenia (fee-lohk-seh-KNEE-ah),  which literally means “love of strangers,” and is the essence of Greek hospitality, warmth, generosity and welcoming others as family.

This year our joy is mixed with deep sorrow. The horrific violence at Annunciation Church on August 27, 2025, has affected our parish deeply. We stand with Annunciation in shared grief, prayer, and fervent hope.

Attending the school mass at Annunciation on August 27 were multiple parishioners of St. Mary’s, including 12-year-old Sophia Forchas, a beloved member of our Greek dancing troupe. She remains in critical condition. We ask that you join us in praying for Sophia, her family, and the doctors, nurses, and all those caring for her and her family.

For decades, the Forchas family has been the heart and muscle behind the Taste of Greece. We are aching without them at this Festival. This year’s Festival honors the love, faith, and service that the Forchas family as poured into our parish and this event, year after year.

The events of August 27 have taken so much from so many – but no act of violence will ever shake the resilience that is built on faith, service, and philoxenia.