1892–2003
The origin of the Greek Orthodox Church in the Americas is to be found in the believing souls of the Greek Orthodox immigrants. Religion and faith are forces that shape what is called the character of man. We may be justly proud of our history in this Nation and of our ongoing contribution to its religious ethos.
In the fall of 1891 there were about 500 male Greeks and perhaps 20 Greek women in New York. The establishment of the Athena Brotherhood intertwined Hellenism and Greek Orthodoxy; from these few sprung forth the first Greek association in this hemisphere, and the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox parish. It elected as its president Solon J. Vlastos, who three years later founded the first Greek American daily newspaper, The Atlantis.
In fits and starts the fledgling religious community began to grow. Chartered by a special act of the New York State Legislature in 1896, it occupied several locations in lower Manhattan. In 1904 a permanent church building, an Episcopal church of Gothic architecture at 153 East 72nd Street , was purchased. The first service was held on April 3, 1904. Later the same year, the dynamic Father Methodios Kourkoules assumed the pastorate and remained its benevolent and resolute spiritual leader until 1940.
In particular, the commitment to education was evident from the beginning. Several parishes together with Holy Trinity began a cooperative effort in 1911 to found the Greek American Institute in the Bronx. In 1949 the parish itself established The Cathedral School.
On the night of January 18, 1927 the Holy Trinity Church at 153 East 72nd Street burned to the ground. Services were moved downtown to St. Eleftherios Church at 359 East 24th Street . In October 1929, with the collapse of the stock market, foreclosed land and buildings were available at ridiculously low prices. Land was purchased at the present location and a new church was built.
Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of then Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt, laid the cornerstone of the beautiful Byzantine edifice on September 14, 1931. Incredibly enough, within five months the building was completed and Holy Trinity moved to its present location on March 4, 1932. Its total cost amounted to $577,000. Archbishop Athenagoras, later Ecumenical Patriarch (1947–72) consecrated the Cathedral on October 22, 1933 and characterized it as "The Cathedral of all of Hellenism in America."
The Rev. Basil Efthimiou, a learned and prolific author is notable among the several outstanding clergy and lay leaders who guided the Cathedral through the years of struggle and good fortune. Fathers Constantine Kazanas, George Papadeas and Chrysanthos Zois and laymen Georges, Taylor, Stephanides, Haradaloupas, Kritzalis, Georgiades, Kulukundis, Goulandris, Kontos, Marchessini, Skouras, Tsolianos, Doukas and Amoratis are some of the many who were exemplary in their dedication and vision.
With the enthronement of Archbishop Iakovos on April 1, 1959,who was to serve for 37 years until his retirement in 1996, a new and significant era began at the Cathedral. He designated it as the Archdiocesan Cathedral in 1962 and eventually assumed direct supervision of its overall administration. In 1970 extensive renovation and decoration of the Cathedral began under the supervision of President Dr. Kimon Doukas and Dean Anthimos Draconakis.
Michael Sotirhos retired Ambassador of the United States to Greece, as President of the Board of Trustees from 1982-85 developed the magnificent Cathedral Complex, which opened in 1989. The clergy and Board of Trustees’ presidents Theodore Prounis, Demetrios Costaras, Emanuel Demos, Elias Kulukundis and Robert Shaw have expanded its facilities further.
The Rev. Dr. Robert G. Stephanopoulos, Cathedral Dean since 1982, provides a range of worship, preaching and spiritual activities, including a Bible Study each Thursday evening. A renowned ecumenist, theologian, lecturer and pastor, he has developed innovative social out-reach programs in the greater Cathedral community.
His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios was enthroned at Holy Trinity Cathedral on September 18, 1999 as Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America. Since that day, Archbishop Demetrios has labored together with the hierarchs, clergy and laity in an intense effort to strengthen conditions of unity and peace and to advance administrative and ecclesiastical stability of the work of the church in America. He has traveled extensively throughout the United States and in sermons and interviews has acknowledged that the Greek Orthodox Christians in America are engaged in a continuous work of mission in their communities, in contemporary society, and throughout the world.
The prophetic words of Archbishop Iakovos are as true today as when first uttered in 1960: “The Cathedral of all of Hellenism in America.” “The Cathedral is not meant to be solely a religious center or simply a place of worship or a home of Christian benevolence. It must be made to symbolize America’s Greek Orthodox Church and Community and in general to reflect the entire Hellenic "Omogenia.’ It shall be our primary commitment to elevate and expand it in all religious aspects so that we shall ever be proud of the Jewel of Orthodoxy.”