History Written at Transfiguration Church Mattituck for 375th Southold Town Anniversary

George Moustakas achieved the rank of Eagle Scout from Boy Scout Troop 268 in Flushing, NY, during the 375^th Anniversary of Southold Town. He was honored by Rev. Constantine Makrinos on Sunday, August 2, during the Transfiguration Church service. He is a 16-year-old Junior at Bronx High School of Science.

According to Wikipedia, “Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than two million young men.”

Moustakas is an alumnus of William Spyropoulos School, graduating with Salutatorian honors. He is an acolyte and Reader blessed by His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios at the Transfiguration Church and St. Nicholas church in Flushing, NY. His parents are Peter Moustakas, an Episcopal Church Pension Group administrator, and Heidi Moustakas, an Atlantic Bank, Flushing, administrator. His grandparents are George and Irene Moustakas, and Chrysanthi Perlegis. His honor is special to the entire community of the East End.

This is the 375^th Anniversary of Southold Town. The Southold government, local newspapers and library system have highlighted the Transfiguration of Christ Church’s role in the community.

Mattituck-Laurel Library Director Jeff Walden and Executive Editor Grant Parpan asked me “when the first Transfiguration of Christ church Festival began.” I did not know the answer at the time. I began research and discovered the English Section of former newspaper PROINI in an article entitled “Transfiguration of Christ Festival a Huge Success,” August 27, 1981, state “the Transfiguration of Christ church of Mattituck, Long island, held its first Hellenic Festival on August 14, 15 and 16 at the four acre church grounds on Breakwater Road. Chairman Christos Flessas had less than two months to organize the three day event.” According to the August 12, 1982, HELLENIC TIMES, P. 19, “The Transfiguration of Christ church in Mattituck, L.I., will be held on August, 12, 13, 14 and 15 on Breakwater Road in Mattituck, L.I. Christos Flessas is chairman of the Festival for a second consecutive year. His dedicated spirit has inspired the holding of a Hellenic Festival on a large scale in a small, understaffed rural community.” The bottom line is this: the first Festival was held on August 14-16, 1981; The Second Festival was held on August 12-15, 1982; The Chairman of the first and second festival was Christos Flessas. For copies of these articles, please send an email.

The book “Transfiguration of Christ Church, Mattituck” is in the Mattituck-Laurel Library for all to borrow. Mrs. Elizabeth A. Neville, Southold Town Clerk, and her staff, Sabrina Born, Lynda Rudder, Bonnie Doroski and Carol Hydeli, have the Transfiguration Church, Mattituck, book in the Southold Town archives in hard copy and digital format. They are attempting to keep history records of an immigration and colonization similar to the Greek Colonies of Magna Graecia in Sicily and Southern Italy. “It is not so much our friends’ help that helps us, as the confident knowledge that they will help us.”
― Epicurus