ASTORIA, NY – GNUSA
The Federation of Dodecanese Societies of America will celebrate the 78th Anniversary of the Unification of the Dodecanese with Greece on Sunday, March 8, beginning with Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, Artoklasia and Doxology at the Cathedral of St. Demetrios in Astoria, followed by a commemorative and cultural program at the community’s Petros Patrides Center.
This year’s keynote speaker is Iphigenia Kanara, Consul General of Greece in New York, whose presence adds distinction to this day of remembrance. The program will be moderated by renowned journalist Dimitris Filippidis.
In addition to the anniversary of unification, the Federation will also commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Imia Crisis, paying tribute to the late Antonis Veziropoulos, a native of Kalymnos, widely remembered as “the shepherd of Imia”. Veziropoulos, who unexpectedly found himself at the center of the events of 1996, has since become part of the modern historical memory of Imia and a reminder of the enduring Greek presence across our island frontier.
The Federation invites the Greek‑American community to join in a day of remembrance, unity, and pride, honoring both the historic struggle for unification and the contemporary legacy of the Dodecanesian islands.
