As we fulfill the vision of our forefathers, it's important we pay them homage. Take a quick trip down memory lane, and learn more about the 20 year legacy our Expansion Project is rooted in.
A small group of families from Bayville, Glen Cove and the surrounding area had a dream of establishing a Greek Orthodox Church on the North Shore of Long Island. With this dream and determination, they established "The Greek Orthodox Community of the North Shore" and received a charter from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Father Emmanuel Gratsias agreed to become our first priest, and he set forth our long-standing tradition of welcoming all of the Greek Orthodox faithful.
Our parish purchased the property at 34 Cedar Swamp Road in Glen Cove, the former St. Hyacinth's Church - our first home of our own! The entire congregation was so excited to have its own church after years of renting from a local Methodist church.
We marched in the Greek Independence Day Parade for the first time as a parish. Our first festival at our new home was celebrated that year as the "Resurrection Summer Festival.'' From that time, we became know as the church with the best homemade food.
A dedicated group of parishioners saw the continued growth of our community and the need for a bigger church and facility. They banded together to purchase the property at 1400 Cedar Swamp Road in Brookville.
The official groundbreaking was held at the new church property. Officiating was His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, formerly of America. In attendance were his Eminence'sDeacons and our future priests, Father John Vlahos and Father Panteleimon Papadopoulos.
The Thyranixia- the door opening of our new church was held. It was a very exciting time for our parish. After we "moved in," our beautiful church began to be completed and welcomed the faithful.
Our hearts were broken with the passing of our beloved Father Emmanuel Gratsias. He was our founding pastor and guiding light who kept the needs of our parish first until his very last moments.
Father John Vlahos was appointed to the parish. After many months of grieving, his arrival helped many of the parish to heal and to begin to move forward again.
Bells were installed in the church bell tower to commemorate the one-year memorial of Father Emanuel Gratsias.
Father Andreas Vithoulkas became our third priest when he was appointed to Holy Resurrection. Later that year, we marked our ten year anniversary in Brookville, celebrating the past and working towards the future.
Our beloved church was consecrated with a weekend filled with worship and celebration. The relics of St. Panteleimon, St. Barbara and St. Kyrikos were placed in the altar.
The Parish, recognizing the tremendous growth of our parish and the need for expanded facilities, overwhelmingly approved the Expansion Project at our Spring General Assembly.
Father Andreas was appointed Chancellor of the Archdiocese and Father Panteleimon was assigned to our parish.
We celebrated our 45th Anniversary as a church with a Grand Gala held at the Swan Club in Glen Head. We are excited for the continued growth and expansion of our parish and its mission.