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Epiphany Dover Bearer Waited For Honor

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KLINT LOWRY, SUNCOAST NEWS STAFF

Published: January 8, 2008

TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. - TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. - Some girls grow up dreaming of being prom queen. Others grow up striving to be valedictorian. Girls who grow up in the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church choir grow up with another goal, to be chosen the dove bearer at the annual Epiphany Celebration.

"I've been waiting for this for a really long time," said Irene Koulianos, who will be dove bearer at the 102nd Epiphany Celebration on Sunday.

St. Nicholas has always been part of Irene's life. She was baptized there, and she has been involved with the church choir since she was 8 years old. That's when she first had the dream that is now coming true nearly 10 years later.

"Once I heard about dove bearer, I thought, 'Ooh, I want to be that one day,'" Irene said. "I feel really honored to be a dove bearer."

To be chosen dove bearer is kind of like being homecoming queen and valedictorian rolled into one. It is a prominent position in the church's biggest event of the year. And like a valedictorian, it is an honor that is earned over time.

"It's an honor and a responsibility," said Choir Director Joanna Hill, who has the difficult task every year of choosing the dove bearer from girls she has known for years.
The criteria for dove bearer goes back at least 70 years. To be eligible, a dove bearer has to be unmarried, a good orthodox Christian, a good student, an active member of the church who regularly attends services and participates in church activities and a generally well-rounded person.

Irene, 17, is a junior at Tarpon Springs High School, where she is a member of the Greek Club. Along with being in the church choir, she is a member of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Youth Association, and a member of Levendia (which means "spirited youth"), a Greek folk dance group in Tarpon Springs.

The whole Koulianos family is sharing in the honor of Irene's selection. Her parents, Pete and Tula; older brother, Petros; older sisters Stella and Patty; her godson, Alex; and her niece, Tula, are all looking forward to the big day.

"It's the biggest honor a parent can have," Irene's mother, Tula, said, near tears. "It's a dream come true."

This is the first time anyone in the family has earned such a role in the Epiphany Celebration. Pete, who dove for the cross a couple of times in his day, was enjoying the moment with a father's pride.

"She achieved her goal," he said with a smile. "She wanted to achieve it; she did it."
If there is any sadness at all, it is that Irene's grandmother didn't live to see the day. But, Tula, added, her spirit will be at Irene's side on Sunday.

The dove bearer is part of the procession from the church to Spring Bayou, carrying a bird in her hands. Once at the bayou, the archbishop blesses the waters, and the dove bearer releases the dove, a symbol of the Holy Spirit coming to touch Jesus at his baptism more than 2,000 years ago. Then, a cross is tossed into the bayou and all the young men dive in to retrieve it, symbolizing the baptism itself.

Hill, who was a dove bearer herself, talked about what it is like to take part in the ceremony.
The bird is brought to the church early that morning. Recent dove bearers help the current dove bearer get used to holding the bird; there is no other chance for rehearsal or practice.
"We try to give as much advice as we can, which sometimes doesn't work," Hill said.

Hill was confident Irene's turn at being dove bearer will go smoothly, as was Irene.

Performing before a crowd is nothing new, and she's grown up with the Epiphany Celebration as part of the choir. Even a bird in the hand shouldn't be a problem.

"You just kind of have to go on faith that everything's going to be OK," Hill said.
Commissioner Jack Mariano agreed it might be odd to spend more money hiring a consultant for budget-cutting ideas.

Mariano sympathized with families feeling the pinch from rising prices. Even fees to join youth soccer team went up last year, pinching the pockets of people in Pasco still more, he said.

Mariano likes previous suggestions to merge overlapping county government departments. For example, he noted, both the county and Sheriff's Office have their own vehicle fleet maintenance departments.

Perhaps the sheriff could take over all 911 emergency hot-line functions, Mariano said.

Cox also wants to explore government consolidation. He said he sent a letter to all county elected constitutional officers – the sheriff, tax collector, property appraiser, clerk of the court and supervisor of election – inviting them to discuss the issue.

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