ΕΑΝ ΠΡΟΤΙΜΑΤΕ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ ΠΑΤΗΣΤΕ ΤΗ ΣΗΜΑΙΑ ΣΤΟ ΚΑΤΩ ΜΕΡΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΟΘΟΝΗΣ
Six years of unchecked abuse and heresy have brought our Church to a historic crossroads. The faithful of America must decide whether to surrender to corruption or stand firm in defense of truth and community. Our parishes, schools, and traditions are under direct threat. The time to act — and to reclaim our Church — is now. Time to kick the Greedy Phanariots out of our Churches!!
By Nick Stamatakis
After six long years of heresies and abuse of power by Archbishop Elpidophoros (whose nickname “Elpidoktonos” — Hope Killer — coined by yours truly the day after his election in April 2019, has proven prophetic), our community stands at a historic crossroads.
Either the Gang of Phanariot Thieves abandons America — or the Greek Orthodox Church and our Greek-American community will cease to exist as we know them.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
We have endured enough from those who corrupted our Orthodox faith with false teachings, caused countless schisms in world Orthodoxy, and now seek to seize the properties of our churches — properties built with the sweat and tears of five generations of Greek-Americans.
TUESDAY 6 PM – RALLY AT ST. DEMETRIOS, ASTORIA
This Tuesday, at 6:00 PM outside St. Demetrios Church in Astoria, we call on everyone to gather and stand up to the greedy Phanariots!
No matter which parish you attend, or which state you live in, this affects every GOA parish in America.
The plan to take over our properties was conceived years ago and comes directly from the corrupt top — the so-called “Holy Synod” of the Phanar.
Here is a beautiful video that first appeared on Instagram by “therealnicolaschase”
OUR STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE
When Helleniscope began warning in 2018–2019 that the Phanariot gang intended to steal parish properties, GOA officials attacked and ridiculed us. They tried to discredit our reporting and even dragged us into court with bogus “defamation” suits. They failed!! Helleniscope so far is victorious!! We do not rejoice in their disgrace. We rejoice that, at long last, the community is awake — ready to defend our faith, our parishes, and our legacy.
LEGAL ACTION IS COMING
Two lawsuits by St. Demetrios parishioners are being prepared for filing in the Supreme Court of New York, challenging any claims the GOA may assert under the unlawful “Gianaris Law.”
Senator Michael Gianaris should be ashamed for betraying his community through this treacherous act.
PHOTO: Never vote for traitor Gianaris again! Call his Office and protest!
Encouragingly, many Archons and senior GOA officials are now privately expressing sympathy and urging the faithful to resist any attempt by the Archdiocese to seize parish properties. For the first time, they are breaking ranks with the heretical leadership and aligning with the grassroots movement to restore the Church of America.
ABUSES AGAINST ST. DEMETRIOS, ASTORIA
A few clear examples among many:
Elpidophoros has fired/dismissed numerous distinguished Parish Council members, including Asprogerakas (twice), Thomatos, and Manetas, during his six-year tenure, as well as countless others, culminating in the recent dismissals. How would any Parish succeed in any plan they are trying to apply if a failing Archbishop overreaches or abuses his supervising authority and fires anyone at will?
Bishop Athinagoras, parish supervisor, made derogatory public comments in a radio program against former School Principal Mr. Alfieri, referring to him being of Italian descent, leading to a reportedly $150,000 settlement — paid by the parish, not the GOA, which is responsible for his behavior.
Meanwhile, Fr. Nektarios Papazafiropoulos — whose decade of poor leadership had driven hundreds of parishioners away — was rewarded with a bishopric and is now involved in plans to turn St. Catherine’s School into an apartment complex, which was his own original idea.
- Fr. Anargyros is paid a handsome $190.000/yr (in retirement supposedly!) to act not as a spiritual advisor as he should but more like a spy to GOARCH of the internal affairs of the parish.
- Finally, GOARCH installed Fr. Gregory (Stamkopoulos) as superintendent of the School, a person totally ignorant of how an educational institution is supposed to function. He is an IT specialist – he is totally out of his field!.. However, he excels in one role: transferring information to GOARCH as if they already own the parish properties.
- GOARCH acting like a mafia organization, wanted to acquire a 39% stake in a minor property/building of St. Demetrios and seeks to take over the entire organization of the Parish, owning real estate worth approximately $200 million!!
You can use Helleniscope’s search function to uncover years of documented abuse against the St. Demetrios Parish.
Helleniscope will be at Tuesday’s 6 pm rally to join our voice with yours:
“The Church Belongs To the Greek-Americans NOT to the Phanariots!!
Hands Off Our Churches!!
“Ελπιδοφόρε – δεν σε θέλει ο λαός, παρ’ τουs Τούρκους σου και εμπρός!!
“Οι Φαναριώτες είναι Προδότες του Ελληνισμού και της Ορθοδοξίας!!” The Phanariots Are Taitors Of Hellenism and Orthodoxy!!”
October 5, 2025, n.stamatakis@aol.com www.helleniscope.com
DISCLAIMER: The views and statements expressed in this article constitute constitutionally protected opinions of this author. This article expresses the opinion of the author and shall not be interpreted as legal advice.
TO SUPPORT HELLENISCOPE OR BECOME A SUBSCRIBER, LINK HERE!!
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BELOW YOU CAN SEE THE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR TUESDAY’S RALLY BY THE PARENTS WHO ORGANIZE IT.
🛑 GREEKS, IT’S TIME TO STAND UP! 🛑
Protect St. Demetrios of Astoria & Every Greek Parish in America
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, under Archbishop Elpidophoros, is attempting a power grab to seize control of our parishes, our schools, and our community properties.
🛑 They forced St. Demetrios of Astoria into emergency meetings, demanding we hand over control of our finances and assets.
🛑 When our parish council refused, long-standing members were removed overnight.
🛑 Just days later, Senator Michael Gianaris pushed through a law removing the NY Attorney General’s oversight — giving the Archdiocese unchecked power to buy, sell, or mortgage parish properties without approval.
🛑 This is not about faith — it’s about money, land, and power
✊ WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED
• Our churches belong to the people — NOT the Archdiocese’s bank account.
• Our ancestors built these parishes with their sweat, sacrifice, and faith.
• If we don’t fight now, we will lose St. Demetrios, our schools, and our community’s independence.
🔥 UNITY = POWER 🔥
This is bigger than St. Demetrios.
This is about protecting all Greek parishes in America.
#HandsOffOurChurch
#SaveStDemetrios & St Catherine’s
#GreeksUnited
Father Gregory is hardly ever at the school and also does not reply to his emails! Myself and several parents of middle
school and high school students tried to reach out to him in 2023 and 2024 to discuss on going issues and we were continuously ignored. He has an office in the school but he isn’t ever there. The archdiocese created a fake position so parents think they are there helping the school but everyone knows it’s not the case.
The Greek – American community of Saint Demetrios, Astoria NY, must preserve one of the biggest Greek schools and the only High School in America! You must keep it in tact and running, off limits from the Phanar – AHEPA United real estate company…
I am thrilled that Helleniscope is revealing the filth and corruption of Elpi, Bart, and their crooked bishops! The truth shall set you free! To stay silent is to stay imprisoned. Let the sun shine in! Bravo!
Over time, your repeated criticisms of the St. Demetrios community and its members have not gone unnoticed. While you may believe you are raising concerns, the way in which they’ve been expressed has brought about unintended consequences—chief among them, casting our community in a negative light and potentially drawing unwanted attention from the Archdiocese.
Words matter. Public narratives, especially when presented without balance or care, have the power to influence perception, sow division, and harm the very people and institutions they claim to address. It is not unreasonable to suggest that your words may have contributed to families choosing to leave the St. Demetrios school and parish—decisions that affect not just numbers, but lives, traditions, and the continuity of our shared values.
We do not question your right to speak. But with that right comes responsibility. The next time you choose to voice concerns, we ask that you do so with a sense of accountability—understanding that criticism can be constructive without being damaging, and that communities grow stronger through dialogue, not division.
The St. Demetrios community acknowledges your concerns. We only ask that future discourse reflect the respect and care our shared heritage deserves.
For years and years YOU – the so-called “concerned” parent – have been witnessing all kinds of abuses not only from the top (GOARCH) but also by the “Mafia” ring led by Andriotis who run the parish for five decades – since the late 1970s You have seen evidence of them stealing money, mis-treating parents and teachers and everyone else, stepping on every Christian principle. You have seen the press – mainly TNH – collide with them and cooperate with them – while the Parish still paid TNH for supposed “advertising”. Yet most of you closed your mouth and kept going – ACCEPTING THE CORRUPTION and the destruction of the community. In recent years we all saw that the Andriotis “Mafia” that run the parish for 50 years let the heating and all mechanical systems deteriorate to the point that YOUR kids, the students of the school were freezing or sweating in classrooms!!. Yet, you did not have the courage to open your mouth – with very few exceptions I must say.
Now you are asking me – while ALL OF YOU HAVE BEEN COWARDS FOR DECADES – to be more gentle and “polite” lest we destroy the “reputation” of the School!!! How idiotic is this attitude? You should be ashamed to ut0ter these words to Helleniscope… specially after the Archdiocese chased us in Courts… Do you realize that I faced the multi-billionaire’s Catsimatidis’ lawyer in Court for 4 years – victoriously? Do I need to explain that John Cats is the #2 in GOARCH hierarchy? Where is your support for Helleniscope? You are still until a couple of years ago – paying advertising to TNH!! And I don’t need your money but at least watch the bs that you have the gall to write here… And show your – at least – emotional support…
Despite all the above, Helleniscope has made numerous positive proposals years ago… Among them four years ago, I offered my personal connection to the Romanian community of Sunnyside – just one mile away from Astoria. I know personally the priest, father Marius, and I wrote about the possibility of them sending their kids – and they have many – to St. Demetrios. I wrote about it repeatedly. I spoke to many of St. Demetrios parish council members. NONE OF YOU DID ANYTHING. And I offered numerous other positive proposals.
BUT NOW YOUR ARE ANNOYED THAT MY SHARP CRITICISMS MAY HAVE DAMAGED THE REPUTATION OF THE SCHOOL!! SHAME ON YOU!!!
Nick
I stand with you on this matter. The “concerned parent” wants to come across as a peacemaker, while ignoring that the truth hurts. And the truth should hurt. And if anyone is upset at the truth, its their problem. You are correct, we need to take a stand at the un-christian actions of this archbishop.
Let’s not forget that Christ considered the priests of his time as the worse hypocrites. They are the ones who denounced him to the Romans and celebrated his crucixion.
Thank you Nick for your appropriate response and for your undeniable vigilance.
I attended St. Demetrios for a total of three months before my parents realized it is a mafia-run dumpster. They took me out and, with all due humility, I’ve done quite well.
When my father politely complained to Andriotis, apparently a grammar school dropout, he was told that parents should shut up! Well, my father did shut up and took me as far away from those creeps as he could. I will not boast to you about my academic and professional success which followed, thanks to that belated action.
Our community had many great visionaries who could move mountains, men like Dr. Demosthenes Triantafyllou. They were real men with solid values and with a lot to contribute. That’s why the pseudo-intellectual Mafia feared them back then, and that’s why it fears them now.
So now the school is beholden by a gang of Turkish eunuchs who value our Faith and our identity as much as the money they steal from us.
Do you honestly think that Telemachos and Elpidophoros lose any sleep over your children’s education and welfare?
My dear, today the buck stops with you, as it once did with my parents. Take charge of the situation for your children’s sake. You owe it to them. We have a common goal and must act united. Don’t let them divide us.
To the concerned parent: You are codependent. Start learning why you are afraid to face the truth. If you were a concerned parent, you would not allow your child to be taught by wicked shepherds.
Dear Editor,
It is very sad to read your articles on St. Demetrios HS, the only Greek American HS of Diaspora being kicked around like a basketball. It brings tears to my eyes because I spent, hours and hours along with so many educators and parents trying to register the school with the State Dep of Education so it can gain certification like all other schools in our area., in the early 1980’s.
The school however has not grown over these 40 or so years and one wonders why? If the Greek American community has dispersed, other approaches of recruitment should have been tried. The community refused to create a charter school, refused to aggressively recruit in the neighborhood and simply welcome more people, more philhellenes….and trust me there are many!! So it is time to move forward or abandon the idea in my opinion. So, it behooves everyone to come to the table and compromise. The school and our cultural heritage demands that we collaborate and move forward.
Thank you for covering pertinent issues in our community.
Frederica
Dear Frederica, I personally – and all around us- appreciate your long service to this School and community. I am following closely the developments since early in 2018. In these years (2018-21) as you know there was a very strong team governing the Parish Council and the school (despite the problems placed by the “Mafioso” Andriotis). It was a team of educated younger Greek-Americans – thjey all had their kids in the school – and they had plenty of ideas on how to improve the school. The enrollment was over 600 students – and we all know that this number is essential for the survival of the school. The school needs at least 550-600 students to sustain itself and have the potential to grow. The Archdiocese acted irrationally – as the Archbishop himself is less than talented and even less than educated to handle these responsibilities. He fired the same people who would make the school grow – and be a Greek Orthodox School AND NOT AN ASSET FOR VALIOTIS AND DIAMATARIS OR A “WOKE” totally “modernized school acceptinng all kinds of identities” as a charter school would be…
It still has the potential to become a great school – under one condition: The Archdiocese would remove her dirty fingers from the Parish.. These Phanariots are not able to run their own affairs – they are not able to run a pizzeria as it is commonly said. They are corrupt to the core!! Why do we expect that they can run this school?
Finally please you or anyone answer for me this question: There are tens of thousands of Orthodox families living in a five mile radius of Astoria: Ukrianians, Romanians, Russians, other Balkan immigrant communities, etc. Why are they not approached by anyone? Does anyone remember the story of Andriotis chasing away from the St. Demetrios Church (!!) a Romanian family? Why do we still today do not know who and what to blame?
In my opinion, these heirarchs from the archdiocese are worse than the mafia. They acted as guarantors for a bank loan St Demetrios took out for 1 million and they did this supposedly to “help” St Demetrios, and now they want control of all the property and assets of St Demetrios worth at least 200 million dollars!” What a great help huh (for themselves) Not even the cosanostra does that! Who are these people??? are they clergy or are they cut throat businessmen cloaked in clergy clothing? Why are these heirarchs so obsessed with money? Isn’t their job supposed to be SERVING the faithfull? Guiding the flock spiritually? Teaching the flock the way to Christ? Where is any of that? I don’t see or hear any of that going on with these archdioese heirarchs/bishops. I see plenty of 5 star banquets, plenty of red carpets, expensive trips, and an obsession with money even more so than from a non-clergyman! If they love making money so much, they should resign and go into business, but don’t masquerade that you’re a religious and pious heirarch and then try to STEAL the fruits and inheritence of other people’s hard work, toil, and donations from decades past for your own selfish interests. HOW DARE YOU! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? WE-THE LAITY PAY YOUR SALARIES! You exist because of US! Not the other way around. WE BUILT THE CHURCHES. WE BUILT THE SCHOOLS! YOU DIDN’T DO A DAMN THING! You came from NOWHERE , were UNELECTED by the people, and you think we’re going to sit by and let you do whatever you want to our community? Are you crazy? You work for US! WE are your BOSS-not the other way around- and simply out of respect we have for God and our traditions we have been putting up with you. But we will not put up with your theft and dishonesty! You-archbishop- and all those that came with you will leave the same way you came. Mark my words! God has the last word. No matter how sneaky you think you are, you are only going to make a fool of yourself in the end. You have now awakened the giant and it is now the beginning of the end for your career! God bless all of you in the parish council that said a big NO to the archbishop. Just like Metaxas when he said NO to the Italians invading Greece in 1940. You are all heros! He removed you from the parish council, but in the end he will be the one that will be kicked out!
Dr. Mammis the new President of the community is petitioning and asking other physicians who have taken the Hippocratic Oath to join him as new board members if they agree to follow his agenda including the sale of school to GOARCH for profit.
We have a proverbial expression in Greek: “Nobody is more stupid than the doctors – if it wasn’t for the teachers!”… “Ουδείς βλακωδεστερος των ιατρών, εάν δεν υπήρχον οι δάσκαλοι»… I think it applies here and has to do with the lack of practical thinking in both cases…
“Dr. Mammis the new President of the community is petitioning and asking other physicians who have taken the Hippocratic Oath to join him as new board members if they agree to follow his agenda including the sale of school to GOARCH for profit.”
What does the Hippocratic Oath has to do with selling churches? This is quite stupid. At the minimum, this doctor should respect the Hippocratic Oath by not hurting people. At a minimum, the sale will cause emotional harm to many greeks. By selling the Church, he is a traitor. A doctor’s agenda should not be selling churches in his community but finding ways to stop the sale and keep the family together
Dear Editor,
Your supportive words to my comments are greatly appreciated.
I too wonder why the school has not developed a more robust recruitment plan, especially in Astoria that has many Orthodox pupils and families. If the present boards are happy with the school, they should make every effort to show it off!!….and show off the school accomplishments.
I know one thing: many of us love the school and the entire GOA system that has helped so many young professionals gain their first footings.
Let us learn to join hands to move into the 21st century, move forward!! All other choices keep us back and minimize/erase our presence in Astoria and surrounding communities. I also would like to hear why Mr. Gianaris pushed through this bill that you mentioned through the State Legislature.
Thank you for bringing these urgent and important issues to the forefront of our community.
With Regards,
Frederica
Let the Reformation begin!
Lord have mercy!