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Published
by the
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America,
September 19, 2005
First Liturgy
Following Hurricane Celebrated in Holy
Trinity Cathedral in New Orleans |
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September 19, 2005
New York, NY - His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios
of America, spiritual leader of 1.5 million
Greek Orthodox faithful, joyfully announced
today that the first post-hurricane Divine
Liturgy was celebrated yesterday, September
18th, at the historic Holy Trinity Greek
Orthodox Cathedral in New Orleans by Fr. Milton
Gianulis, a Greek-Orthodox U.S. Navy Chaplain.
The Cathedral parish is the oldest Greek
Orthodox community in the United States
established in 1864 and the relatively new
church edifice, consecrated by Archbishop
Demetrios in 2001, was flooded and has suffered
water damage from Hurricane Katrina.
Fr. Milton Gianulis is attached to the USS IWO
JIMA, a multi-purpose amphibious ship, headed by
Greek Orthodox Captain Richard Callas. With the
help of Captain Callas and under the direction
of Fr. Milton, several members of the IWO JIMA
crew salvaged books, furniture and other
moveable items from the church and cleaned and
dried the interior and exterior of the church,
making the Liturgy possible.
On Sunday morning eight parishioners attended
the Divine Liturgy including IWO JIMA
crewmembers and two officers of Holy Trinity
Cathedral, Nick Moustoukis, Vice President and
Chris Kanellakis, Treasurer.
According to information received from those
present, the level of the water inside the
church had reached three feet from which there
was considerable damage. What is not known at
this time is how much structural damage there
was to the church, which will be determined by
inspection of engineers in the coming weeks.
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