World Pontian Folk Organization Inc.

08/15/2026

August 15 — The Dormition of the Theotokos

Today, Orthodoxy commemorates the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos—a day of deep faith, prayer, and hope; a day on which Hellenism, wherever it may be, turns its gaze toward the Virgin Mary.

For Pontian Hellenism, however, August 15 has a name that carries centuries of faith and history:

Panagia Sumela.

High in the mountains of Pontus, on the steep slopes of Mount Mela near Trebizond, Panagia Sumela became the spiritual refuge of the Greeks of Pontus for nearly sixteen centuries.

According to ecclesiastical tradition, the monks Barnabas and Sophronios were led to Mount Mela in the 4th century, where they founded the Monastery. There, within the rock, one of the most important pilgrimage sites of Orthodoxy and Pontian Hellenism was born.

Every August 15, generations of Pontians, as well as Muslims who revered the sacred site, ascended to Sumela.

People from cities and villages throughout Pontus came to worship, pray, fulfill a vow, seek the help of the Virgin Mary, and receive Her blessing.

And there, beside the cave church, was the Holy Spring of Sumela. Its water, dripping from the rock itself and collected drop by drop, was associated for centuries with the faith of pilgrims and with a tradition of healing.

Sumela, however, ıt ıs not simply a monastery.

It ıs our faith, language, traditions, memory, and our homeland of Pontus.

Durıng the Greek Pontıan genocide, the people were forced to flee.

The chants fell silent, and the bells no longer called the faıthful to the rock of Mount Mela.

But Greeks took with them something that no uprooting or genocide could ever take away:

their Panagia

The Sumeliotissa passed from Pontus to Greece, and with Her traveled the memories, vows, prayers, and stories of generations past.

Today, when Pontians say “Panagia Sumela,” they are not simply speaking of a monastery.

They are speaking of an unbroken bond between faith and homeland, between ancestors and descendants, between those who once lived in Pontus and the generations who were forced to build new lives far from their ancestral homeland.

And perhaps the Holy Spring of Sumela is one of the most beautiful symbols of this continuity:

The water continues to drip from the rock.

Just as memory continues to pass from generation to generation.

Today, let us light a candle for the Virgin Mary.

For those who once climbed the paths of Mount Mela to worship Her.

For those who left Pontus carrying Her in their hearts.

And for the generations to come, so that they may always know that Sumela is not simply a monument of the past.

It is a living legacy of faith, history, and memory.

A blessed Feast of the Dormition to Hellenism around the world.

A blessed Feast to all Pontians, wherever they may be.

Most Holy Theotokos, Panagia Sumeliotissa, shelter and protect the whole world.

World Pontian Folk Organization
Where memory becomes knowledge, and knowledge becomes legacy.

#ΠαναγίαΣουμελά #Δεκαπενταύγουστος #ΚοίμησηΤηςΘεοτόκου #Παναγία #Σουμελά #Πόντος #ΠοντιακόςΕλληνισμός

Provided to YouTube by DistroKidΎμνος στην Παναγία · George Kiria...

08/13/2026

ΥΠΟΤΡΟΦΙΑ
ΧΑΡΑΛΑΜΠΟΥ ΚΙΑΓΧΙΔΗ
(διαθέσιμη μια θέση για φοιτήτρια)

Το Σωματείο του Αγίου Γεωργίου Περιστερεώτα, ακολουθώντας την ευαισθησία του ιδρυτή του για τη σπουδάζουσα νεολαία, αείμνηστου Χαράλαμπου Κιαγχίδη, και συναισθανόμενο τις δυσκολίες των οικογενειών να ανταπεξέλθουν στα έξοδα των σπουδών, αποφάσισε να προκηρύξει επίσημα κατ’ έτος υποτροφία με την επωνυμία: Υποτροφία Χαράλαμπου Κιαγχίδη. Η υποτροφία αφορά τη δωρεάν διαμονή σε διαμέρισμα στο κέντρο της Θεσσαλονίκης (οικία Χαράλαμπου Κιαγχίδη) σε δυο φοιτήτριες ή δυο φοιτητές που έχουν εισέλθει επιτυχώς σε πανεπιστήμιο ή ιδιωτικές σχολές της Θεσσαλονίκης. Απόλυτη προτεραιότητα δίνεται στους φοιτητές ή φοιτήτριες με καταγωγή από το Ροδοχώρι και μόνο ελλείψει υποψηφίων με τη συγκεκριμένη καταγωγή η υποτροφία θα αφορά φοιτητές από την ευρύτερη περιοχή της Ημαθίας ή την υπόλοιπη Ελλάδα.
Η επιλογή των υποψηφίων πραγματοποιείται από το Διοικητικό Συμβούλιο λαμβάνοντας υπόψη την καταγωγή, την οικονομική και οικογενειακή κατάσταση των φοιτητών.

Ποιος ήταν ο Χαράλαμπος Κιαγχίδης

Ο δικηγόρος Χαράλαμπος Κιαγχίδης γεννήθηκε το 1908 στα Λειβάδια της Γαλίανας και διαδραμάτισε σημαντικό ρόλο στα κοινά των Ποντίων, καθώς υπήρξε για 16 χρόνια πρόεδρος της Ευξείνου Λέσχης Θεσσαλονίκης και ο εμπνευστής της ανιδρύσεως της I. Μονής Αγ. Γεωργίου Περιστερεώτα της Γαλίανας του Πόντου. Θερμός συμπαραστάτης του υπήρξε η γυναίκα του Αικατερίνη, το γένος Ευμοιρίδου. Ως πρόεδρος του Αγίου Γεωργίου Περιστερεώτα έθεσε τα θεμέλια και ολοκλήρωσε την κατασκευή του ιερού Ναού και των παρακείμενων κτιριακών εγκαταστάσεων της Μονής του Αγίου Γεωργίου στο Ροδοχώρι Νάουσας. Με δικές του ενέργειες συγκεντρώθηκαν τα ιερά Λείψανα των Αγίων και τα ιερά κειμήλια που φυλάσσονταν στην παλιά Μονή του Πόντου, καθώς και τα ιερά οστά των Ιερομονάχων της παλιάς Μονής του Πόντου. Ως πρόεδρος της Ευξείνου Λέσχης Θεσσαλονίκης, πέρα από την απόκτηση του σημερινού εντευκτηρίου στη Λεωφόρο Νίκης, κατόρθωσε να φέρει σε πέρας την ανέγερση οκταώροφης οικοδομής στη Θεσσαλονίκη, για τη στέγαση του Οίκου Ακρίτα Φοιτητή (Οικοτροφείο -Εστιατόριο-Βιβλιοθήκη- Αναγνωστήριο). Με διαθήκη του άφησε, μετά το θάνατο του (1983), όλη την κινητή και ακίνητη περιουσία του στο Σωματείο και στην I. Μονή Αγίου Γεωργίου Περιστερεώτα.

Οι υποψήφιοι υποβάλλουν στο εμαίλ του Σωματείου [email protected] τα εξής δικαιολογητικά:
1) Ταυτότητα ή άλλο έγγραφο από το οποίο θα προκύπτει η καταγωγή των υποψηφίων από το Ροδοχώρι Ναούσης.
2) Βεβαίωση εγγραφής στα ΑΕΙ/ΑΤΕΙ ή άλλη σχολή
3) Δήλωση του Ν.1599/86 ότι δεν έλαβαν, ή δεν λαμβάνουν άλλη υποτροφία από το ίδιο ή άλλο Κληρ/μα, Δωρεά ή Κληρονομία και ότι δεν έχασαν από δική τους υπαιτιότητα άλλη υποτροφία.
4) Εκκαθαριστικό σημείωμα της Εφορίας για το φορολογητέο εισόδημα των υποψηφίων και της οικογενείας τους
5) Σε περίπτωση πολυτεκνίας Πιστοποιητικό οικογενειακής κατάστασης
Για τη συνέχιση της υποτροφίας, οι υπότροφοι υποχρεούνται κάθε χρόνο να προσκομίζουν πιστοποιητικό προόδου με ικανοποιητική βαθμολογία.
Εάν η υποτροφία διακοπεί από υπαιτιότητα των υποτρόφων ή εάν οι υπότροφοι δε λάβουν το πτυχίο τους μέσα σε ένα έτος από τη λήξη της κανονικής διάρκειας των σπουδών τους, χάνουν την υποτροφία.
Η υποτροφία δύναται να διακοπεί, εάν, για οποιονδήποτε σοβαρό λόγο το κρίνει το Διοικητικό Συμβούλιο. Στην περίπτωση αυτή ουδέν δικαίωμα γεννάται υπέρ του υποτρόφου του οποίου διακόπηκε η υποτροφία.

Για φέτος υπάρχει μια διαθέσιμη θέση για μια φοιτήτρια/σπουδάστρια

08/13/2026

When Croatian scholars Dr. Helena (Helen) Tomas and Toni Rajković address this subject in university lectures, publications, and national educational media, they present the definitive international academic consensus.

The ancient Macedonians were an integral part of the Hellenic (Greek) world.

Crucially, neither scholar is Greek or from Skopje.

Dr. Tomas holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford and serves as a Professor of Aegean Archaeology and Epigraphy at the University of Zagreb, while Toni Rajković is a prominent historian and author of national history textbooks for Profil publishing in Croatia.

Their background as neutral, third-party Croatian academics removes any suspicion of regional nationalistic bias, allowing them to present an objective evaluation of the data.

This academic consensus rests firmly on concrete empirical evidence rather than political opinion. Epigraphically, the discovery of the Pella Curse Tablet (Pella Katadesmos), dating to the 4th century BC, revealed that ordinary citizens in the Macedonian capital spoke and wrote in a local dialect of Doric/Northwest Greek.

Furthermore, over 99% of recorded ancient Macedonian names such as Philippos ("lover of horses") and Alexandros ("defender of men") are purely Greek in etymology. Archaeologically, the excavations at Dion, Vergina, and Pella reveal Doric and Ionic architecture, worship of the Olympic pantheon at the foot of Mount Olympus, and pan-Hellenic customs, such as Macedonian kings competing in the ancient Olympic Games where participation was strictly reserved for free men of Hellenic descent.

In their educational work, both scholars clarify how identity functioned in antiquity by distinguishing between regional and pan-Hellenic identity. Just as an inhabitant of Sparta identified locally as a Spartan or a citizen of Athens as an Athenian, a subject of the Argead dynasty identified locally as a Macedonian.

Above these regional divisions, however, existed a shared Hellenic cultural and linguistic umbrella. The intense political and military rivalries between southern Greek city-states and the northern Kingdom of Macedon were conflict between Greek political entities, not divisions between alien civilizations.

Finally, in textbook and public media presentations, Rajković and Tomas rigorously distinguish ancient history from modern Balkan demographics.

They emphasize that while the ancient Macedonians were a Hellenic people who spoke a Greek dialect in antiquity (~1000 BC–148 BC), Skopje’s are a South Slavic people whose ancestors settled in the Balkan region centuries later, during the 6th and 7th centuries AD.

By separating ancient Hellenic history from modern 19th and 20th-century nation-building, both scholars affirm that the expansion of Macedon under Philip II and Alexander the Great was fundamentally the vehicle that spread Hellenic language, culture, and learning across the ancient world.

08/08/2026

August 15-16, 2026 • August Church & Paniyiri •
H.I. Panagia Soumela, West Milford, NJ

Annual August Church & Paniyiri
ΠΡΟΣΚΥΝΗΜΑ & ΠΑΝΗΓΥΡΙ

Saturday, August 15, 2-11 PM
Vespers - 6 PM

Sunday, August 16, 9-4 PM
Divine Liturgy - 9 AM

Streaming & Videos
Vespers & Divine Liturgy will be streamed live on our:
page – and
YouTube Channel –

The videos will also be posted here on this page afterward.

Flea Market
We will have a Flea Market both days.

Music
Pontiaka & Laika

Pontiaka Musicians
Dimitris Stefanidis: Lira, Vocals
Sokratis Togridis: Daouli

08/07/2026

Assyrian Martyrs Day – August 7

Today, we pause to honor the memory of the countless Assyrian men, women, and children who endured persecution and gave their lives for their faith, identity, and heritage.

As we remember their suffering, we also celebrate the resilience of the Assyrian people and reaffirm our commitment to preserving the history and legacy of all Christian communities of Anatolia. Their stories remind us of the importance of truth, remembrance, justice, and the protection of human dignity for future generations.

May the memory of the Assyrian martyrs be eternal, and may their legacy continue to inspire understanding, compassion, and peace.

We remember. We honor. We will never forget.

08/07/2026

Congratulations to Eleni Apazidou! 🇬🇷 🇦🇺 🇺🇸

We are proud to see our very own Eleni Apazidou featured in Neos Kosmos following her participation in the Melbourne University Greek Association (MUnGA) Networking Night, an event that brought together Greek-Australian students, alumni, and professionals to build meaningful connections and inspire the next generation.

Currently spending a year in Melbourne as part of her university sabbatical, Eleni shared her enthusiasm for becoming involved in the local Greek community while expanding her professional network.

The article also highlights Eleni's outstanding philanthropic work as the Founder and President of the Greek Smile Project, a charity dedicated to improving access to affordable pediatric dental care in Greece. Through fundraising efforts, the organization has already helped support a mobile dental clinic serving children and families in need.

Eleni's commitment to community service, leadership, and Hellenism is an inspiration to young Greeks around the world. We wish her continued success during her time in Australia and beyond!

📖 Read the full article in Neos Kosmos:
https://neoskosmos.com/en/2026/08/07/news/community/melbournes-young-greeks-build-bridges-to-the-professional-world-at-munga-networking-night/

08/06/2026

The World Pontian Folk Organization invites you to an inspiring International Conference: The Psychology of Dance, a unique interdisciplinary event exploring the powerful connection between dance, the human mind, and cultural identity. In collaboration with the Maliotis Cultural Center, this conference will bring together researchers, psychologists, educators, healthcare professionals, cultural leaders, and dancers to examine how dance enhances mental and emotional well-being, strengthens social bonds, fosters resilience, and preserves cultural heritage across generations. Through thought-provoking presentations, discussions, and shared perspectives, we aim to demonstrate that dance is far more than an artistic expression; it is a living archive of memory, identity, healing, and human connection that continues to shape individuals and communities around the world.

Join us for an unforgettable experience where research meets tradition, and discover why dance is one of humanity's most powerful expressions of memory, identity, and connection.

Stay tune. Exciting announcements are coming soon!



Radio Trapezounta Boston

07/16/2026

The following excerpt comes from Archimandrite Petros' inspiring letter on the legacy of the Great Emperors Komnenoi, written for our First International Symposium. Through his words, he reminds us that honoring our history also means carrying forward the traditions, faith, and cultural heritage entrusted to us by our ancestors.