It’s all Greek at St. Demetrios in Saco

On a recent warm June morning, a circle of women from St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Saco are busy assembling boxes in which they will place almost a dozen different kinds of sweets for sale during the annual Greek festival July 12-14.

“We’ve made almost 40,000 pieces of pastry,” said secretary Stephanie Koutroulis on June 25, with a hint of pride in her voice. Just think of the hundreds of bags of Greek cookies. Everything is homemade.”

It’s all hands on deck as members prepare for the annual festival, which has been held for at least 30 years. But 2024 will also see two milestones: it’s been 115 years since the original St. Demetrios Church in Biddeford was founded and 25 years since parishioners moved to the Saco church.

When asked if plans are in place to celebrate the two anniversaries, Koutroulis said, “It’s kind of all year, with the festival and bazaar and coffee hour. “Our 25 years are celebrated in some way on an ongoing basis all year long.” 

The original church was built in 1909 on Adams Street in Biddeford, according to Stavros Nashi, vice president of the church council in Saco. 

In the late ‘90s, members moved to Saco, and the original church, which still stands today, became home to a mostly Serbian congregation. 

“It’s still the same name – St. Demetrios,” said Nashi, “so there’s one in Saco and one in Biddeford.”

Nashi’s parents landed in Saco-Biddeford in 1956, when he was 5 years old, and, “My relationship with the church is since that time,” Nashi said. 

“A lot of Greeks came here” in the mid-1900s, Nashi said. They were mostly single young men — including his grandfather, who emigrated in 1907. 

Not many young women, Nashi said, because the men “needed to make money to marry off sisters. They couldn’t get married til their sisters did. A lot ended up staying and bringing brides. Imagine young women crossing the Atlantic … (to live) in a strange place.”

Greeks have a rich history in the area, as a wall showcasing old photos attests, including men preparing to start the sea voyage from their village. There’s also a picture of His Eminence, Archbishop Lakovos, posing with Martin Luther King Jr., with whom he marched in Selma, Alabama, in the 1960s. 

Ephemera at the church includes a school attendance roster from 1921 and two old council books – one in Greek and one in English.   

Many settlers became businessmen, Nashi said, most notably store owners. 

“They did well, but had hard times,” he said.

A photo of a march in Biddeford by the Klu Klux Klan bears witness to the prejudice Greeks suffered along with Franco Americans, Catholics and other groups.

 “Greeks weren’t considered white,” Nashi said. In response, the local chapter of the Order of the American Hellenic Educational and Progressive Association was formed “to show everyone Greeks wanted to be proud Americans.”

 

Stavros Nashi points to a photo on the wall at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Saco. PHOTO BY ANN FISHER

For parents, “It was all about the kids,” Nashi said. “Greeks are very big on education and have a lot of respect for teachers.”

The Saco church has grown and changed in recent years, with more children in attendance. 

In 2006 the sanctuary was refreshed, with canvas paintings of Jesus, saints, icons, and more that were made in Greece shipped over to beautify the interior. 

“People who came in were awestruck,” Nashi said, adding that gold leaf on the paintings was added at the Saco site.

In addition, older people who stayed away during the pandemic have returned. There are now 200 families that belong, Nashi said; around half are Greek because a lot of converts joined. 

“They are very much into traditional; not much has changed,” Nashi said. “We’re doing better than we’ve ever done. There’s more people and more finances.”

Greek Festival

The 2024 Greek Festival will take place at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 186 Bradley St. Saco July 12-14. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

The festival will feature “Greek hospitality, music, traditional food and pastry with recipes that have extended along generations.” Free parking and admission; an extensive menu of items will be available for purchase. For more information, go to stdemetriosofmaine.com/festival.

Ann Fisher is a freelance journalist based in Saco. She can be reached at 432-7483.