Greek festival honors shooting victims

The joy at this year’s Taste of Greece Festival held Sept. 5-7 at St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church (3450 Irving Avenue S) was mixed with deep sorrow.
Attending the school mass at Annunciation on Aug. 27 were multiple parishioners of St. Mary’s, including 12-year-old Sophia Forchas, a member of the Greek dancing troupe. She remains in serious condition after a gunshot wound to the head. Sophia’s younger brother was also inside the school during the shooting. Her mother, a pediatric critical care nurse, arrived at work to help during the tragedy, before knowing it was her children’s school that was attacked, and that her daughter was critically injured.
According to the event website, “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 has poured into our parish and this event, year after year.
“The events of Aug. 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.” Philoxenia (fee-lohk-seh-KNEE-ah) literally means “love of strangers,” and is the essence of Greek hospitality, warmth, generosity and welcoming others as family.
Each year, the festival welcomes more than 30,000 attendees, transforming St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church (3450 Irving Ave. S., Minneapolis) into a lively Greek village filled with Greece’s authentic flavors, live music, dancing and “kefi” – the joyful spirit of Greek culture. This year’s celebration marked the church’s 125th anniversary.
“At its heart, the Taste of Greece is about sharing our Orthodox Christian faith, Greek culture and serving our beloved community – both here at home and around the world,” said Father Timothy Sas, head priest of St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church. “
This year’s event was the 37th Taste of Greece. Prior to building the Great Hall, there were Sunday afternoon “Taste of Greece” dinners and before that several Greek Smorgasbords, according to David Mertesdorf.
To donate to the Go Fund Me accounts set up for the parishioners of St. Mary’s, go to https://mplsgreekfest.org/donate/.