Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church stands at 10 Mill Road in New Rochelle, New York, where a congregation that first gathered in 1922 has worshipped, taught, and served for nearly a century. The parish is part of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, under the spiritual shepherding of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. Over time the community has moved through a storefront, a garage, a rented house, a wooden church, a white church, and finally the present sanctuary, which Archbishop Iakovos blessed in 1973 and which was consecrated in 1978. Today the parish offers the full rhythm of Byzantine worship, two parish schools, an active Philoptochos chapter, and a busy calendar of youth, family, scouting, basketball, and cultural programs.
Sunday and Weekday Worship
Sunday mornings follow the rhythm of Byzantine worship. Orthros is prayed at 9:00 a.m., followed by the Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m. The two services flow together, and worshippers typically remain for both. Fellowship and coffee follow in the Social Hall immediately after the Divine Services.
On weekdays, when services are scheduled, Orthros begins at 9:30 a.m. and Divine Liturgy follows at 10:00 a.m. The weekday calendar varies with the liturgical year (feast days, lenten periods, and patronal feasts), and specific dates appear in the parish calendar. During Great Lent, the parish hosts the Pre-Sanctified Divine Liturgy, including the Pre-Sanctified Divine Liturgy dedicated to the Philoptochos, followed by a general membership meeting and a light lenten supper.
A Parish Built Step by Step
The history of Holy Trinity is the story of an immigrant community finding its footing on a new continent.
In 1922, Contilia Lazarus organized roughly thirty families from Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Yonkers, and White Plains in her Mount Vernon home to discuss forming a Greek Orthodox community. Two years later, the group rented a storefront inside Genung's Department Store and gave themselves the name Holy Trinity. By 1928 the congregation had incorporated as the Hellenic Orthodox Community of Westchester County, Inc., and was meeting on the top floor of a garage on Fifth Avenue between Second and Third Streets. That same year they purchased property on North Seventh Avenue that was never used; the proceeds later helped buy the wooden church in 1940. A precursor of today's Philoptochos was also begun in 1928.
The wooden church, on North High and Oak Street, was Holy Trinity's home until a fire destroyed it before Easter in 1942. Holy Week that year was held in the basement of the Masonic Temple in Mount Vernon. For the next six years the community worshipped in a rented house on Second Avenue, with services in the living room, a narthex in the entryway, and Sunday School and Greek School classes in the dining room; their priest, Fr. Papachristou, lived upstairs.
In 1948, Holy Trinity purchased a former Protestant church, the white church, which many considered the dream facility. Ten years later a building fund was organized and property was bought on Mill Road and North Avenue in New Rochelle. In 1962 the community broke ground for a new Community Center that also served as the church until 1973, when Archbishop Iakovos blessed the new church and opened its doors. The present building was consecrated in 1978.
A fire shortly before Christmas 1979 again damaged the church, and services moved to the Social Hall until repairs were completed. In 1986 the parish approved expansion and redecoration of the Social Hall and the construction of a gym, which were opened and dedicated in 1990. Father Peter N. Kyriakos retired in 1996 after twenty-three years of service, and Father Nicholas Anctil became pastor that July. The parish celebrated its seventy-fifth Diamond Anniversary in 2003 and donated all profits from its 2001 Festival (over $50,000) to the 9/11 Fund. In 2008 the parish marked its eightieth anniversary and the twenty-fifth anniversary of Fr. Nick's ordination.
Father Nicholas and Father Demetrios
The parish is led by two priests.
Very Reverend Father Nicholas Anctil, the Proistamenos (Presiding Priest), was born in Nashua, New Hampshire, in 1958 and grew up at St. Philip Church there. After graduating in 1980, he entered Holy Cross School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts, where he was ordained to the diaconate in 1983 and to the priesthood in 1984 at St. Sophia Church in New London, Connecticut, by Bishop Methodios. His first assignment was to St. Demetrios Cathedral in Astoria; he then served Holy Trinity-Saint Nicholas Church on Staten Island for seven years. In July 1996, Archbishop Iakovos assigned him to Holy Trinity of New Rochelle. Fr. Nick celebrates his name day on December 6, the Feast of St. Nicholas. He has been honored locally with the Loukoumi Make a Difference Award and the Spirit of Excellence Award.
Rev. Fr. Demetrios Balidis joined the parish as Assistant Priest in April 2022. A 2017 graduate of Hellenic College and a 2020 graduate of Holy Cross, he was ordained to the diaconate in 2019 by Archbishop Elpidophoros and to the priesthood in 2020 at St. Demetrios Cathedral in Astoria. He has longstanding ties to Holy Trinity, having grown up at the Church of Our Saviour in Rye and attended GOYA events here. He is especially passionate about youth ministry, the liturgical life of the Church, and pastoral care.
The Ladies Philoptochos and Charitable Outreach
The Ladies Philoptochos Society, the women's philanthropy organization of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, is among the most active presences at Holy Trinity. A precursor of today's chapter was started in 1928, and the modern Philoptochos runs an extensive outreach portfolio.
Philoptochos-led ministries include the Community Food Drive, support for the Carver Center, the Oasis Shelter, visits to St. Michael's Home, Grace's Kitchen, Knitting for Charity, Cooking for Hope, the Manhattan Soup Run, and the Prison Ministry. Recent campaigns include a Yarn Drive to benefit women at the Taconic Correctional Facility, a Prison Ministry Soap Drive for Dove, Dial, or Irish Spring bar soap, the annual Easter Market, and Go Red for Women wear-red days. Hats and Gloves for the Homeless are gathered in the Social Hall each December, and a Veterans Drive collects for veterans each spring.
The chapter's signature social event is the Annual Candlelight Dinner, held in December. It hosts general membership meetings and a Thank You Dinner, supports the Linda Kyriakos Faustini Scholarship, and funds a Tree Dedication Ceremony. St. Michael's Home visits, membership drives, and a Decoration Day are also part of its rhythm. Outside its own philanthropy, the parish has also supported national efforts such as the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, fielding Team Holy Trinity Go New Ro.
Greek School and Sunday School
Two schools run on the Holy Trinity campus.
The Greek Afternoon School, directed by Georgia Konstantinou, opens each September with an Agiasmo ceremony at the church. Students study Greek language and culture and host regular cultural events including OHI Day (the October 28 commemoration of Greece's 1940 refusal of the Italian ultimatum), Greek Independence Day on March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, Greek Language Day in February, and the Three Hierarchs celebration. A graduation ceremony closes the year, and the Greek School PTA supports the program. A separate Greek Dance Troupe, directed by E. Metaxas and N. Gregory, rehearses and performs traditional dances at the annual Parish Panygiri and other gatherings.
The Sunday School is directed by T. Kusulas and C. Mavrovitis and gathers children during the Sunday Divine Liturgy. A Christmas Pageant is staged each December, and the school reopens each year with an Agiasmo blessing on the first day.
Youth Formation: HOPE, JOY, GOYA, Scouts, and Basketball
Children and teens find a continuous path of formation at Holy Trinity.
The youngest are welcomed into HOPE (Holy Orthodox Primary Education) and JOY (Junior Orthodox Youth), led by B. Vlahopoulos and B. Kotsamanidis respectively. GOYA (Greek Orthodox Youth Association), the teen ministry, is led by A. Cossifos, S. Resvanis, and A. Modroukas and runs regular social outings, an end-of-year BBQ, a Lock-In, an apple-picking trip, a scavenger hunt, and a Christmas dance. GOYA members also participate in district events, including the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan District Olympics.
The parish also fields competitive basketball and volleyball teams. There are youth divisions (A and B), a junior varsity team, and a varsity team, with the senior team winning the COEBL championship in 2003 and the JV team taking the 2019 COEBL JV title. The varsity and youth basketball teams continue to play in the league under volunteer coaches.
Holy Trinity is also home to long-standing scouting programs. A Cub Scout pack, a Boy Scout troop, and a Girl Scout troop all meet at the parish, and four Holy Trinity Boy Scouts became Eagle Scouts in 2019. The parish celebrates Scout Sunday each year. In the summer, campers from Holy Trinity attend Camp Saint Paul, which Fr. Nick has visited.
Adults, Couples, and Seniors
For adults, the parish offers a Young Adult League (YAL), the parish chapter of Orthodox Christian Fellowship for parishioners in their twenties and thirties, which gathers for outings, ugly-sweater parties, and dinners. The Mr. & Mrs. Club, led by R. Kousteris and P. Costakos, hosts Taverna Nights and other social events for couples.
For families with very young children, Mommy & Me, led by A. Antoniou, holds regular gatherings including a Halloween party and a Christmas party.
For older members, Young at Heart, led by Lori and George Curtis, organizes events and outings, and meets regularly in the Social Hall. A parish library, directed by D. Graff and A. Eng, is open to parishioners and holds its own schedule of activities.
Liturgical Arts: Choir, Chanters, Altar Servers, and Prosphoro
Music and altar service are central to Orthodox worship, and Holy Trinity has a full complement of liturgical ministries.
The Holy Trinity Choir, the senior parish choir, leads congregational singing during the Divine Liturgy. A Junior Choir, directed by G. Mavrovitis, sings with the younger members of the parish. The Psaltis (chanter), J. Pantginis, leads the chant and serves alongside the choirs, and a senior organist supports the music program. Choir Sunday is observed nationally each year, and Holy Trinity has honored its senior choir director and organist for their service.
Boys and men serve at the Holy Altar as Altar Servers and are recognized at an annual appreciation luncheon. Prosphoro Baking is a long-standing tradition at Holy Trinity, with parishioners taking turns preparing the prosphora (communion bread) used in the Divine Liturgy; workshops teach new bakers. A Welcoming Committee greets visitors at the Divine Liturgy.
Hellenic Cultural Life
Holy Trinity is a gathering place for Greek cultural life in lower Westchester.
The Greek School hosts celebrations of OHI Day, Greek Independence Day, the Annunciation, and Greek Language Day. The Greek Dance Troupe performs traditional dances from regions of Greece and Cyprus at the annual Parish Panygiri (the feast of the community's patron, observed on the Monday of the Holy Spirit each year), the Greek Independence Day Parade, and other community events. AHEPA Evzone Chapter 405, founded at the parish in 1961, holds monthly meetings, an annual Golf Outing, and a Graduates Luncheon honoring the parish's high school and college graduates. The Mr. & Mrs. Club and the Ladies Philoptochos host wine tastings, Apokriatiko Glendi, Mingo Nights, and Taverna Nights throughout the year.
The annual Dinner Dance Gala, a long-running parish tradition, is the parish's signature fundraiser. The parish newsletter, The Trinitarian, appears every other month with parish news, announcements, and reflections from the priests.
The Campus: Church, Social Hall, and Gym
The present Church was built in the early 1970s, consecrated in 1978, and damaged by fire in 1979. The 1990s brought an expansion, redecoration of the Social Hall, and a new gym, dedicated in 1990.
The campus includes the main sanctuary, the Social Hall (used for fellowship after services, Ladies Philoptochos events, and community meals), the gymnasium (used for basketball games and practices), classrooms for Sunday School and the Greek Afternoon School, and an adjacent property with a magnolia tree. Facility rentals are coordinated by a parish committee.
A Brick Recognition Program offers engraved bricks for parishioners and supporters to commemorate loved ones. Memorial donations and general donations can be made online through the Hellenic Orthodox Community of Westchester's giving form, and gifts can be designated for specific purposes. A candle can also be lit online through the parish's candle request page. A merchandise store offers parish apparel.
Visiting and Staying Involved
Practical details for visitors and newcomers are simple.
Sunday services are held at 10 Mill Road in New Rochelle. Sunday Orthros begins at 9:00 a.m., followed by Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m., with coffee and fellowship in the Social Hall afterward. Weekday services run when scheduled, with Orthros at 9:30 a.m. and Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m. Confessions, home blessings, and questions about infant baptism can be directed to Fr. Nick or Fr. Demetrios. The church office, staffed by Office Manager Dean O'Leary, can be reached at (914) 235-6100, with an emergency line at (914) 505-6099 and emails to info@holytrinitynr.org or dean@holytrinitynr.org.
The parish's annual Stewardship program is the main way members support the church, and donations can also be made online. The Trinitarian and parish announcements keep parishioners informed throughout the year.