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An icon linked to Florida’s Greek immigrant and sponge-diving community has been located on Aegina, raising hopes of a homecoming for Epiphany 2027.
A historic icon of St. Nicholas, absent from the Greek Orthodox community of Tarpon Springs for 103 years, has been located on the Greek island of Aegina. Tarpon Springs Mayor John Koulianos pursued the search during a visit to the island in the summer of 2026.
Immigrants from Aegina presented the icon to Tarpon Springs’ original wooden St. Nicholas Church in 1910. A fire severely damaged the church in 1923. Although the icon survived, it needed repairs and was sent to Greece for restoration. It never returned to Florida.
During his visit, Koulianos raised the matter with Aegina Mayor Ioannis Zorbas. Local clergy helped establish the icon’s whereabouts, bringing fresh hope of resolving a separation that had lasted more than a century.
Its return has yet to be finalized. Approval from the relevant church authorities and arrangements for transportation are still required. Officials hope to bring the icon back to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral by January 6, 2027, coinciding with Tarpon Springs’ Epiphany celebrations and a planned ceremony formalizing its sister-city relationship with Aegina.
For the Greek-American community, the prospective homecoming offers a tangible connection to the immigrants who helped shape the city. The story also resonates with Kalymnos, already a sister city of Tarpon Springs, whose Greek heritage remains closely tied to the sponge-diving industry.
