Hours of Operation:
Friday: 4:00pm – 8:00pm
Saturday: 11:00am – 8:00pm
Sunday: 11:30am – 4:00pm
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Mouth watering, homemade, authentic Greek cooking! From a delicious Greek salad to roasted lamb on the spit, enjoy a wonderful meal topped off with a cup of Greek coffee and a tasty pastry from our kafenion!
PHOTOS
About Us
Saints Markella and Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church originated with a promise made by Mr. Constantine (Gus) Loizos to his family’s patron saint, St. Markella of Chios. Mr. Loizos suffered from kidney stones, and took pilgrimage to the island of Chios in the 1960’s to pray for healing and ask for the intercession of Markella. Mr. Loizos vowed to build a church in her honor if he would be healed.
Parish History
After his pilgrimage, his kidney ailment vanished, but soon after his healing, Constantine choked on a peanut, which fatally caused a blood vessel to burst. In order to carry out his promise to St. Markella, Mr. Loizos’s widow Maritsa Loizos, his mother Irene, and his children began building a local chapel with the help of a local Orthodox layman, Mr. James Middleton. Mr. Loizos had insisted that St. Demetrios also be in the chapel’s name, since St. Demetrios was James Middleton’s patron Saint, and since Mr. Middleton had joined him in prayer for his healing.
The chapel was originally intended as a wayside haven on Highway 98 for travelers to pause for prayer. It was completed in 1964, but failed to have the 50 families needed in order to receive its Charter from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America. The chapel also lacked a priest. Under these circumstances, the chapel became a mission of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Pensacola, FL. in 1968. Saints Markella and Demetrios remained as a mission church until the mid-1970’s, growing over time. On October 21, 1975 the chapel received its Charter from the Archdiocese. The first full time priest was Father George Konstantopoulos. The parish hall was added, adjacent to the church, in 1975.
In 1980, James J. Tringas donated adjacent land and stocks to the Church for use in future construction. The Church broke ground on July 26, 2003, we moved into our new Church building on October 13th, 2007, marking a new phase in the history of Saints Markella and Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church.