Evanthia Dukakis Receives Ministry Award

Eva DukakisWith great pleasure, the Transfiguration community honors Evanthia "Eva" Karatassos Dukakis as this year’s recipient of the Metropolis of Boston Ministry Award.

Eva hails from Savannah, Georgia, where she met her husband, Stratos, and married in 1959. They moved to Massachusetts and in 1961 joined the Transfiguration Church as truly faithful and humble servants of Christ.

Eva and Stratos’s four daughters, Elaine, Thea, Georgia and Mary, were raised with the deep love of God and dedication to His church. In a myriad of ways, all four women and their families are devoted to the ministries of their church through Choir, Sunday School, GOYA, Church Camp, the Greeter Ministry, Altar Servers, and Festival volunteers. Eva’s ten grandchildren were all baptized at the Transfiguration and continue their love and dedication modeled by their beloved Yiayia.

Early on in their marriage, both Eva and Stratos taught Sunday School. Coincidently, our current Sunday School director was in Eva’s class those many years ago. Eva sang in the choir for over 35 years and has instilled the love of music in her family.

When one thinks of Eva, cooking and baking come to mind. In 2002, Eva and her family published a cookbook, titled From Yiayia’s Kitchen.

Eva came from a beautiful southern family of cooks. The traditions she learned have been passed down to her children and grandchildren. Eva is truly the Betty Crocker of the Transfiguration Church. She has baked thousands of pieces of pastries for festivals, church dinners, Philoptochos events, and, of course, cookies for the children of Vacation Church Camp.

Between raising her family and baking around the clock, Eva’s full-time profession was an educator in the Lowell Public Schools where she taught children how to cook and the value of good nutrition. She brought these same skills to the parish. It is not an unusual site to see Eva teaching the Vacation Church Camp children how to bake koulourakia. She is always eager to teach and share the traditions of the church with the the younger generation because, in her words, "Who’s going to do it when we’re gone?"

Thanks to Eva’s dedication to Garden Club and her knowledge of flowers, the church has been adorned with Eva’s beautiful vases of flowers for the feast day of the Panagia each August.

Eva has been a dedicated member of Philoptochos since 1968. She sat on the Philoptochos Board and has the distinction of being the first secretary who took the minutes in English. For many, many years, Eva chaired the decorating committee for the Annual Philoptochos Christmas Benefit Tea. During those years, the decorations were to be kept a secret until the day of the Tea, but not a secret from Eva’s family. One year, forty gingerbread houses that were under construction were spread all over their house.

Eva is a beloved member of our Transfiguration Family with that southern charm, smile on her face, and kind words of encouragement. We thank Eva for her love and service to our parish as a committed servant of Christ and His Holy Church.

Well done good and faithful servant.” (Matt. 25:23)


View the full list of 2020 Metropolis of Boston Ministry Award Recipients