About this event
St. John Chrysostom Albanian Orthodox Church marks Festa e Flamurit (Albanian Independence Day) with a Divine Liturgy and parish gathering at its 17th Street church. Established in 1931, the parish was founded by Albanian immigrants who built one of the earliest Albanian Orthodox communities outside Boston. November 28 commemorates Ismail Qemali's 1912 declaration of independence in Vlorë; the parish typically pairs the liturgical service with traditional Albanian food, sung patriotic anthems, and the raising of the kuq e zi flag in the church hall.