12/15/2025
Wow. God bless him.
It was in 1960, at St. Constantine and Helen Church in Detroit (now Westland), that Angelo Kircos‘s chanting ministry truly began.
When meeting Kircos—whether in person or across a Zoom screen—you feel the exuberance and joy of a man who has spent his life in service to his church, his family and his faith.
At 98 years old, his smile remains bright, his eyes wide with joy, and his voice strong, even after decades of chanting the hymns of the Greek Orthodox Church. Angelo jokes about his years, but his son Lazaros says, “You’re not old! You’re not even 100!” Lazaros is right; there is nothing old about Angelo.
Angelo remembers every detail of his life in Greece and in America, speaking with clarity and pride about coming to the US in 1955 with his young family to give them a chance for a better life.
Today, Angelo continues to serve as the chanter at St. George Church in Southgate, Michigan, where he is believed to be the oldest active chanter in the country—perhaps even the world. He can be seen at his stand on Sundays and throughout the week–a treasure to his community, to chanters, to his family and to the entirety of the Greek Orthodox Church.
Read the full story at the link in the comments below. Photos courtesy of the Kircos family and by Orthodox Observer/Marissa Costidis.
