Justine Frangouli-Argyris
Like all
authors, I am a voracious reader. Recently, I packed my usual 3 or 4 titles for
a week of r&r down south. A couple of days prior to departure, however, I
encountered my dear friend, John Catsimatidis, for dinner at Milos. I have
known John since the turbulent days of Archbishop Spyridon when he was named
vice-chairman of the Archdiocesan council.
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This is an agreement that was voted by the General Assembly eight years ago. I found it in my archieves and I present it here, so there won't be any misunderstandings, gossip etc!
The agreement was altered during the COVID period as the Archdiocese accepted less contribution from the Community's churches when they were sealed because of COVID restrictions.
AGREEMENT FOR ECCLESIASTICAL CONTRIBUTIONS (the Agreement) made as of the 18th day of
December 2018 at Montreal, Quebec and is made:
MONTREAL, a
Registered Charity corporation formed under the laws of Quebec
(HCGM);
AND:
THE GREEK ORTHODOX METROPOLIS OF
TORONTO (CANADA), a Registered Charity corporation formed under the laws
of Ontario
(Metropolis);
(A)
(D)
(E)
The HCGM is an organization established for the purpose of
ensuring the progress and promotion of the culture of the
population of Greek origin in the greater metropolitan region of Montreal and,
more particularly, to preserve and
promote the Greek language, to set up
charitable, welfare, and educational
organizations for the benefit of the population of Greek origin, and to preserve and
perpetuate the Greek Orthodox faith and tradition promulgated by the authority
of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of
Constantinople according to the doctrine and the faith proclaimed and
applied by the Greek Orthodox Church.
The Metropolis is the Greek Orthodox
ecclesiastical authority in Canada under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical
Patriarchate of Constantinople. ·
The HCGM owns and operates
six Greek Orthodox churches in the greater
metropolitan region of Montreal, being St. George's Cathedral, Evangelismos tis Theotokou, Koimisis tis Theotokou, St. Jean Baptiste, St. Nicholas
and Holy Cross (each, a HCGM Church, and collectively, the HCGM Churches).
The HCGM and the Metropolis desire to enter into an
agreement to define their respective rights and obligations in connection with
the provision of a financial support given by the HCGM to the Metropolis, and
the assignments of the priests for the purpose of providing
religious services and the administration of holy sacrements by the Metropolis
for the benefit of the parishioners of the HCGM churches.
The HCGM's advisory board has recommended to
the HCGM's board of directors (the HCGM
Board), which has accepted and approved such recommendation, that the HCGM
enter into this Agreement.
The members of the HCGM
have approved, by way of resolution
adopted by a 2/3 majority at the special meetings held on the 9thday
of June 2014 and the 1?1h day of Juhe 2015, respectively, for
such purpose (the HCGM Special Meetings), the terms and conditions of this Agreement and
have authorized the HCGM to enter into this Agreement.
ARTICLE I
ECCLESTIASTICAL CONTRIBUTIONS
1.1
Subject
to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the
HCGM hereby agrees to make annual financial contributions to
the Metropolis in the amounts and in respect of the time periods set forth below:
1.1.1
An amount of two hundred and forty
thousand dollars ($240,000) for the twelve month period commencing on January
1, 2019 and terminating on December 31, 2022, representing an annual financial contribution of $40,000 per HCGM Church in operation;
1.1.2
Upon renewal of this Agreement, the
annual financial contribution per HCGM Church in operation shall be equal to
the contribution paid to the Metropolis
at such time by the other Greek Orthodox Churches in Canada under the jurisdiction
of the Metropolis.
1.2
The amounts payable by the HCGM pursuant
to Section 1.1 shall be payable in equal monthly instalments starting on
January 2019.
1.3
All payments shall be made in Canadian
dollars and shall be made by way of delivery by the HCGM to the Metropolis, on or before January 15 of each year, of twelve (12)
post-dated cheques representing the
monthly contribution instalments in respect of such year.
ARTICLE IICONSIDERATION
2.2
The Metropolis shall fulfill its obligations and provide
support to and for the benefit of the HCGM and its Churches in good faith and
with the same degree of care and diligence as the Metropolis provides similar
services for the benefit of churches
and parishes which adhere to and comply with the Uniform Community Regulations
and Bylaws of the Metropolis, and shall use its best efforts within the organization of the Greek Orthodox Church and the priests who are employed in the HCGM Churches to ensure that this Agreement is respected in its application.
2.3
During the term of this Agreement but
subject to Article IV herein, the Metropolis
covenants and agrees that it shall not, directly or indirectly, and
shall cause every person under its authority not to (directly or indirectly), apply any fee, charge, commission, cost, or other amount in respect of the administration and
registration of sacraments to and for the benefit of all HCHM Churches and their parishioners.
ARTICLE Ill
TERM
3.1
The obligations of the Parties to this Agreement shall
take effect immediately, provided that the HCGM's contribution obligations
shall commence as provided in Section 1.1.
3.2
This Agreement shall
terminate on December 31, 2022 (the
Term). The parties agree to negotiate in good faith and conclude by no later than June 15, 2022, a new
agreement for the said four (4) years
("Renewal Term").
ARTICLE
IV TERMINATION AND REMEDIES
4.1
The HCGM
may terminate this Agreement if the Metropolis defaults in any material respect in the performance or satisfaction of its obligations contained in Article II of this
Agreement. In the event a Default occurs and is continuing,
the HCGM shall send a written notice of such Default to the Metropolis. Unless the Metropolis has cured the Default within sixty (60)
days of the date of receipt of such written notice, the HCGM may exercise any
rights and remedies the HCGM may have under law.
4.2
The Metropolis may terminate this Agreement if the HCGM
defaults in any material respect in the
performance
or satisfaction of any agreement,
provision or covenant contained in this Agreement. In the
event a Default occurs and is continuing, the Metropolis shall send a written
notice of such Default to the HCGM. Unless the HCGM
has cured the Default within sixty
(60) days of the date of receipt of
such written notice, the Metropolis may exercise any rights and remedies the
Metropolis may have under law.
4.3
In the event a
Payment Default (as defined below) occurs and is continuing, the Metropolis
shall send a written notice of such Payment Default to the HCGM. Unless the HCGM has cured the Payment
Default within sixty (60) days of the date of receipt of such written notice,
the Metropolis may exercise any rights and remedies the Metropolis may have
under law. For the purposes hereof, a
Payment
Default shall mean any past due
amounts owing by the HCGM pursuant to Section 1.1 which has not been paid in full within fifteen (15) days of the initial payment due date.
5.1
The Metropolis will
be added as an additional insured under the HCGM's General Liability Insurance
Policy, but solely with regards to the HCGM Churches' premises, operations
and/or projects. Upon request, a
Certificate of Insurance will be provided each year to the Metropolis.
5.2
This Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted and enforced in accordance with the laws of the Province of Quebec and the federal laws of
Canada applicable therein.
5.3
This Agreement may
be executed in any number of counterparts (including counterparts by facsimile) and all such counterparts taken together
shall be deemed to constitute one and the same
instrument.
5.4 The Parties
acknowledge that they have required that the present Agreement
be drafted in English. Les parties reconnaissent avoir exige la redaction de
la presente convention en anglais.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, each
of the parties hereto has caused this Agreement to be executed by its duly authorized officer.
Per:
Per:
Name: Metropolitan Archbishop Sotirios
Title: President
Greek Master Chef Dimitris Scarmoutsos Coming
to Montreal!
Top chef Dimitris Scarmoutsos will travel to Montreal to demonstrate
his culinary skills at the Christmas gala organized by the Lyceum of Greek
Women of Montreal (LGWM) Montreal on December 18th, 2022, 5.30 p.m. at Embassy
Plaza. The purpose of the event is to raise funds to support the clinical
research of the “DovEEGene” Project led by the renowned oncologist, Dr. LucyGilbert of McGill University.
Dimitris Scarmoutsos, with roots in Los Angeles, said he was excited to participate in this expatriate event as he feels tremendous bonds with the Hellenes of North America.
The president of the LGWM, Justine Fragouli-Argyris, noted: "I am moved by the voluntary participation of the great Greek chef, Dimitris Scarmoutsos, who will come to Montreal to display his art and to contribute, without remuneration, to the pioneering research of Dr. Gilbert.
The “DovEEGene” project has already detected pre-cancerous cells in two women that were referred by the LGWM, two ladies who were saved from the "silent killer" that is ovarian cancer by undergoing prompt hysterectomy. It is hoped that this new test will catch millions of similar cases once it becomes standardized.
The event will be emceed by Aphrodite Salas, Assistant Professor and Graduate Diploma Program Director of Journalism of Concordia University.
Live music will be provided by the Artemis Lago orchestra.
Dimitris Scarmoutsos: Rocking the Greek
Cuisine!
Master Chef Scarmoutsos, a pioneer of the new gastronomy that
Greece has to offer, went to America at the age of 18 where he studied
economics at UCLA and then at the Culinary Institute of America. His thesis was
on French and Japanese cuisine. From 1993, he took his first professional steps
alongside Thomas Keller and, in 1996, he began working in major hotels, such as
the Sheraton, where he was the executive chef, as well as in well-known
restaurants.
In 2001, he returned to Greece, to Chania, in Crete, where he immersed himself in Cretan cuisine and locally sourced products. Since 2005, he has been a chef in a Cretan restaurant that has been awarded the Golden Chef Cap Award and many other Gourmet distinctions.
In 2010, Chef Scarmoutsos was asked to be one of the three judges (along with Lefteris Lazarou and Gianni Loukakos) on the initial “Greek Master Chef” reality show which was won by Akis Petretzikis. He remained on Master Chef for three years and went on to work on other well-known cooking shows such as "Junior Master Chef,” "No Recipe” and “Joy," where he showcased the delicacies of Greek cuisine. Concurrently, he was the executive chef of ERGON restaurants in Greece and abroad.
For every famous chef, when it comes to the culinary arts, after the knowledge and the astute application of the principles of cooking, comes the "personal" creation, the moment when the master’s temperaments are passionately channeled into flavors.
They are few and far between, those chefs that, when you try one of their dishes, you can perceive an entire philosophy in their creations. Dimitris Scarmoutsos is one of those few whose plates are completely and immediately recognizable with one bite.
Unconventional from adolescence, a lover of life and adventure, Chef Scarmoutsos was and remains a kitchen “rocker.” From his beginnings in America to his studies and apprenticeship with Thomas Keller, he has traveled the world, indulging in the kitchens of many cultures. Upon his return, enriched and mature but more content than ever with the blessings of Mediterranean Crete, he has gone on to redefine Greek cuisine with its precious ingredients but also the entire culture around Greek food and its social function.
The event will be emceed by Aphrodite Salas, Assistant Professor and Graduate Diploma Program Director of Journalism of Concordia University.
Live music will be provided by the Artemis Lago orchestra.
By Justine
Frangouli-Argyris
