Born in Gastouni Ilias in 1939, Dionisia Lagogianis moved to London, Ontario, with her mother and younger sister in 1953. She married her husband, James Chelonis, at the age of 18, and after the birth of their second child in 1966, her husband became a priest. Dionisia took on the role of Presbytera, and together with her husband she moved to Panama, Nebraska, and Ontario in the years that followed. She describes her ties with the Greek language, the church, and her encounters with discrimination in Ontario.
[00:00:16] Childhood and migration to Canada
[00:06:32] Family memories
[00:08:39] Early life in London and racism
[00:12:13] Work, community, and marriage
[00:16:36] Presbytera life in Panama and the U.S.
[00:25:08] Living in Kitchener and St. Catherines
[00:28:59] Memories of her husband and Panama
[00:34:44] Parents and her homeland
[00:44:10] Life as an immigrant woman
[00:46:00] Greek community today and mixed marriages
[00:50:19] Decision to move to Canada and war memories
[00:55:09] Her mother and raising Canadian children