A Parish Rooted in Westfield for Six Decades
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church sits on Gallows Hill Road in Westfield, New Jersey, a short drive from the New York - border Union County communities that have drawn Greek American families for generations. The parish belongs to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of New Jersey, and identifies Holy Pentecost as its feast day. While the surrounding township is best known as a commuter town with a walkable downtown and strong schools, the parish has built its own quiet identity over six decades as a gathering point where Orthodox families from Westfield, Cranford, Scotch Plains, Mountainside, Plainfield, and the wider county come together around the Sunday Divine Liturgy, the Greek school, and a long list of ministries that span every age and stage of life.
The parish celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in recent years and has planned a 60th anniversary gathering at the church. That continuity shapes everything the parish does. Stewards who were baptized here now bring their grandchildren to the same Sunday services. The choir loft still anchors the liturgical life of the parish. The Ladies Philoptochos Society, the Greek school, the dance program, the scouting ministry, and the multiple fellowship groups all carry names and traditions that stretch back through the parish's history.
Sunday Worship on Gallows Hill Road
Sunday is the heart of parish life. Orthros begins at 8:15 AM, followed by the Divine Liturgy at 9:30 AM. The Orthodox Christian liturgical year fills those services with the readings and hymns of the season, from the Triodion of Great Lent and the Paschal celebration in the spring to the Sundays of Matthew and Luke that mark the longer stretch of ordinary time through the summer and fall. Feasts such as the Elevation of the Holy Cross, the Nativity of the Theotokos, and the Sunday of All Saints each carry their own set of hymns, and the parish bulletins filed online cover every one of them week by week.
Worship at Holy Trinity is traditional and liturgical, anchored by the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom that is the standard service of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. Hymns are sung in both Greek and English. The choir sings from a written phonetic transliteration, so adults who do not read Greek can join in. Visitors will hear the familiar liturgical refrains: the Kyrie Eleison, the Cherubic Hymn, the Axion Estin (It Is Truly Right), the Sanctus (Agios O Theos), the responses around Holy Communion, and the closing Aineite (Praise the Lord) in Greek and English. A full set of audio recordings of the basic liturgy is available through the parish to help newcomers learn the responses before they arrive.
Reception of Holy Communion is the climax of the liturgy. The parish teaches that preparation through prayer, fasting, and confession precedes communion. Tradition holds that those receiving the Eucharist fast from all food from the prior evening until after receiving the sacrament, with allowances for the elderly and small children. Services are livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook so that parishioners who cannot attend in person can still follow along, and recordings remain available online for later viewing.
Father Peter Delvizis and Pastoral Leadership
The parish is led by the Rev. Protopresbyter Peter Delvizis, who has served as presiding priest since July 2004. The title of Protopresbyter is an honor conferred on senior priests of the Archdiocese. Father Peter preaches, presides at the Divine Liturgy and the other services of the church year, leads Bible study, teaches the Women of Faith group, and counsels families through every milestone of Orthodox life from the forty-day blessing and baptism through weddings and funerals. TOTS, the toddler ministry, joins him in the church for a brief teaching during each gathering. Father Peter also walks alongside the parish's Scouts as they pursue Eastern Orthodox religious awards.
Pastoral care at Holy Trinity follows the Pastoral Guidelines of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Baptisms are scheduled with the priest and cannot take place from Christmas through Theophany (December 25 through January 6), during Holy Week, or on the Great Feasts of the Lord. Marriages follow a Marriage Preparation Seminar led by Father Peter, and the parish observes the Archdiocesan calendar of days on which marriages are not permitted, including Wednesdays and Fridays of fasting, Great Lent and Holy Week, the Dormition Fast (August 1 through 15), the Beheading of St. John the Baptist (August 29), the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14), and the Nativity fast (December 13 through 25). Funerals may be held on any day of the year except Sundays and Holy Friday. The Orthodox Church does not grant funerals to those who choose cremation, and the casket is kept open during the funeral service as a sign of the deceased speaking to those who are present. Memorial services are accompanied by kollyva (boiled wheat) and are typically chanted on the fortieth day and on anniversaries.
The Orthodox Faith As the Parish Teaches It
Holy Trinity teaches the Orthodox Christian faith as it has been received from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The Discovering Orthodox Christianity series of twenty-six video programs, produced by Greek Orthodox Telecommunications with a grant from the Archbishop Iakovos Leadership 100 Endowment Fund, is one resource the parish recommends. Each program addresses a different theme, from the Old and New Testaments and the liturgical year to iconography, church architecture, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Orthodox moral and social teachings, patristics, and Bible study in the Gospel of Luke, the Psalms, the Letter to the Romans, and the First Epistle of St. John. Archbishop Demetrios of America presents five of the programs, and the rest feature metropolitans, theologians, and clergy who specialize in their fields.
The parish also offers an extended introductory reading on the Gospel According to St. John, prepared by Father Peter, and a Lives of the Saints feature that draws on The Prologue from Ochrid by Bishop Nikolai Velimirovic, translated into English by Rev. T. Timothy Tepsic and Very Reverend Janko Trbovich. An Interactive Bible Study leads readers through Holy Week, opening with the Saturday of the Raising of Lazarus, then walking day by day through Palm Sunday, the Bridegroom Services of Holy Monday through Holy Wednesday with their themes of watchfulness and the contrast between the repentant woman who anointed Christ and Judas Iscariot, the Mystical Supper of Holy Thursday morning, the Crucifixion reading of Holy Thursday evening, the Apokathelosis (Un-nailing) of Holy Friday afternoon, and the Great and Holy Pascha of Saturday night with its Paschal fire, the chant CHRIST IS RISEN, and the joyful proclamation that death has been put to death.
The parish holds the Orthodox teaching on the sanctity of human life, taught in its pastoral guidelines. Abortion is treated as contrary to Orthodox teaching. The parish teaches that marriage is between a man and a woman and that the Orthodox Church does not bless same-sex unions. Suicide is described as self-murder, with pastoral compassion extended to those who have acted under mental illness or severe emotional distress when verified by a physician. Organ donation is presented as a possible act of love, consistent with respect for the body of the donor.
Religious Education and the Sunday School
The Religious Education program serves children from Pre-K (age 4 by December 1) through twelfth grade. Classes meet on Sunday mornings, beginning after Holy Communion so that the children worship with their families before being dismissed to their classrooms. The curriculum is the one developed by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America's Department of Religious Education, applied at an age-appropriate level by volunteer teachers. Students take part in special projects in addition to their regular lessons. Registration opens through an online form in the late summer, and the program begins on the first Sunday of the program year. Pete Markos serves as Director of Religious Education, and Father Peter welcomes new volunteers with a teaching background or a desire to serve the parish's young people.
Greek School and the Preservation of Language
Greek school at Holy Trinity is a serious undertaking in its own right. Stavroula Mergoupis directs the program, supported by a parent-teacher organization led by President Roula Ioannou, Vice President Eleni Gathercole, Secretary Alexa Ciccone, and Treasurer Ronnie Filippatos. The classes meet on Tuesdays from 4:00 to 6:00 PM for Pre-K through third grade, and on Thursdays from 4:00 to 6:00 PM for fourth through sixth grade, in the Bouras Center on the parish grounds. Tuition follows a tiered family rate, with a lower rate for stewards of the parish and reduced rates available for families experiencing financial difficulty, who are encouraged to speak with Father Peter directly.
The classes prepare children to read, write, and converse in Greek, and to engage with the liturgical language they hear each Sunday in church. Each year ends in June with a graduation ceremony. Beyond language, the Greek school passes on a continuous Hellenic heritage to a generation that may be several generations removed from the family's arrival in America.
The Choir Tradition
Music at Holy Trinity is sustained by three choirs. The Adult Choir rehearses every Thursday evening at 7:15 PM in the church and sings from the beginning of the ecclesiastical year in September through June. Members do not need to read Greek, since the music is written in English phonetics, and many hymns are sung in English. Music literacy is welcomed but not required. The choir participates in the Eastern Federation of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians, with members attending the annual conference and joining the New Jersey district's activities, including the Christmas Concert hosted each year by a different parish and the Lenten Musical Offering on the Friday before Holy Week. Anne Kernoski directs the choirs, and Phyllis Verenes serves as organist.
The Angel Choir brings boys and girls ages seven through twelve into the liturgical music of the parish. They rehearse after Sunday School for twenty minutes, don white robes assigned by number, and sing parts of the Liturgy alongside the Adult Choir on Sundays. They are featured on the solea during Holy Communion. The Byzan-teens are former Angel Choir members who continue singing after they turn thirteen, wearing blue robes and learning the larger repertoire until they are ready to join the Adult Choir in full standing.
Greek Dance Lessons Across the Year
Greek dance is offered to all youth of the parish from Pre-K through twelfth grade and is led by Hellenic Dancers of New Jersey member Ronnie Filippatos. The HOPE/JOY group (Pre-K through sixth grade) gathers on Sundays after Religious Education, with three groups formed by registration. GOYA dancers (seventh through twelfth grade) meet on Wednesdays from 6:45 to 9:15 PM with instructor Nick Fourniadis. Tuition is set by family and may be paid by check, online, or by Venmo to @westfieldgreekdance. The dance program's annual registration each summer is the calendar anchor for many parish families.
Youth of Holy Trinity: GOYA
GOYA, the Greek Orthodox Youth of America, is the parish's ministry for teens between the ages of twelve and eighteen. At Holy Trinity, the group is also known as YHT (Youth of Holy Trinity). GOYA is built around four pillars that animate Greek Orthodox youth ministry: Liturgia (Worship), Martyria (Witness), Diakonia (Service), and Koinonia (Fellowship). The teens participate in religious, educational, service, social, athletic, and cultural activities that should reflect the Orthodox Christian faith. Annual athletics are open to GOYA members registered in Religious Education, and on game days the teens attend the Divine Liturgy and then Sunday School together.
The 2025-2026 GOYA Executive Board is led by President Antonios Saketos, Vice President Kalliope Koutzoulis, Treasurer Minas Saketos, Recording Secretary Dylan West, Corresponding Secretary Alexandra Kotsinis, and Outreach Coordinator Sophia Drivas, with a Board at Large that includes Sophia Drivas, Fotini Koutoudis, Harrison Manousos, Ava Paone, Minas Saketos, Marina Skalkotos, Christos Steele, Alex Sulton, and Neo Yatromanolakis. A team of advisors supports the board: Sophia Saketos, Catherine Kelly, Christine Skalkotos, Kathy Paone, Lexi Kiriakatis, and Andy Zotos. Mary Carayannopoulos leads the GOYA Advisors.
JOY/HOPE for the Younger Set
HOPE and JOY serve children from ages five through eleven. The JOY annual dues are modest, and activities are designed to be both fun and educational while planting the seeds of charitable giving through age-appropriate service projects. The ministry leader is Marissa Pallis Asfour, who keeps parents in touch through emails and a table at the Fellowship Hour. The HOPE/JOY group also takes part in Greek dance on Sunday afternoons after Religious Education.
T.O.T.S.: A Toddler Social for the Youngest Families
The Trinity Orthodox Toddler Social (T.O.T.S.) gathers children between eighteen months and four years of age along with their parents or caregivers for a biweekly time of fellowship, prayer, and free play. The group meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month from 9:30 to 11:30 AM. The morning opens with center activities and free play in the Pre-K room, transitions into the church for a brief teaching with Father Peter, and finishes with snack and more play in the Bouras Center. Caregivers supply their own drinks; snacks are provided. Play clothes are recommended. Valerie Comprelli chairs the program.
Y2AM for Young Adults
For young adults between eighteen and thirty-five, Holy Trinity runs a chapter of Y2AM, the Youth and Young Adult Ministry of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Holy Trinity founded its own Y2AM chapter in 2014, two years after the ministry launched nationally. Its mission is to connect young adults with their Orthodox Christian faith, to provide fellowship events, and to offer guidance as they transition from high school through higher education and into their first careers. Activities include an annual career and mentoring fair, networking, college scholarship and internship help, and connections to Orthodox Christian Fellowship at OCF. Kenneth and Jeannie Arida coordinate the chapter, supported by a wider circle of parish mentors.
Trinity Circle for Parishioners 55 and Over
Trinity Circle is the parish's fellowship ministry for retired parishioners. Avi Kiriakatis and Kassandra Romas serve as co-Presidents, with Steve Xenakis as Program Director, Bill Theofanous as Treasurer, and Marina LoAlbo in charge of Membership. The group gathers once a month on the first Tuesday from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM in the Bouras Center for a presentation and lunch. The calendar adds special outings through the year, including a bus trip to the Hunterdon Playhouse in November and a Christmas luncheon at Galloping Hills Caterers in December. The traditional cutting of the Vasilopita at the Holy Epiphany Divine Liturgy, the Cemetery Palm Cross Sale at Lazarus Saturday in March, and the Independence Day Lunch in July are highlights of the year. Membership is open to any parishioner aged fifty-five or older.
Women of Faith and the Bible Study Group
The Women of Faith Ministry gathers for Bible study led by Father Peter, followed by spiritual enrichment, prayer, and fellowship. The group is open to women of the parish of any age who want to study the Scriptures together in an Orthodox setting.
Ladies Philoptochos and Outreach
The Ladies Philoptochos Society is the philanthropic arm of the parish. The mission of Philoptochos is to aid the poor, the aged, the hungry, the needy, and the sick through charitable works performed with discretion, courtesy, and kindness. Kathy Maglaras serves as President, supported by 1st Vice President Debra Vlahakis, Corresponding Secretary Marigo Markos, Recording Secretary Denise Eliopoulos, Treasurer Debbie Koutsaftes, Assistant Treasurer Yiana Leichtling, and Advisor Maria Kanaras. The board includes Sandy Boutsikaris, Christina Colonias, Ellen Conti, Avi Kiriakatis, Debbie Koutsaftes, Marina LoAlbo, Ellen Manos Athenson, Karen Roscoe, Elise Savnik, Mary Skiadas, Maria Stevens, Kristin Tencza, and Phyllis Verenes.
Philoptochos is the principal Orthodox philanthropic network, and the Westfield chapter raises funds for national and metropolises initiatives as well as local projects. The Parish Outreach Committee chaired by Peter Tarhanidis coordinates the parish's broader work of mercy with GOYA and other groups. Projects include the Angel and Mitten Trees (coordinated by Alexis Kiriakatis), support for the Bridges program for the homeless, donations to Children's Specialized Hospital, and steady support of local food banks. The Philoptochos publishes the Philotimo newsletter, hosts a parish fashion show, and offers stewardship giving through Zelle (YianaHT at Treasurer@htphiloptochos.com) or online.
Scouting Ministry and Religious Awards
Holy Trinity maintains a Scouting Ministry that supports Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and older Scouts in the parish under the mentorship of Miriam Kotsonis. The program works with the Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting (EOCS) to help Scouts earn the official Eastern Orthodox religious awards: the St. George Medal for grades 1 through 3, Chi Rho for grades 4 and 5, and Alpha Omega for grades 6 through 12. The parish notes that it currently has a particularly large number of Alpha Omega recipients among its high-school Scouts. Many Scouts in the parish have dedicated major Eagle, Gold, and Silver service projects to the parish and other Orthodox charities, including library books sent in Spanish to St. Innocent Orthodox Orphanage, an archival history of Holy Trinity for the 50th anniversary, an inventory of Greek dance costumes, and a video presentation built around interviews with the parish's founders.
The Scouting Ministry also connects local Scouts to broader Orthodox Scouting events. The Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting hosts annual retreats at Holy Cross/Hellenic College in Brookline, Massachusetts, and the parish welcomes Scouts from across the New York and New Jersey Orthodox community. Father Peter and Miriam Kotsonis work together to mentor the Scouts of Holy Trinity.
The Cultural Committee and Hellenic Heritage
The Cultural Committee was founded in 1984 by chairs Harry Panagos and Barbara Manos. Over the years, the committee has presented lectures, films, music, and documentaries that bring Hellenic and Orthodox heritage to the parish and to the wider community. Past events have featured historian Nicholas Gage (Eleni, Greek Fire, A Place for Us), Lars Brownworth on the Byzantine Empire, and screenings of films including Politiki Kouzina, Man of God, and Smyrna My Beloved, which marked the centennial of the catastrophe of Smyrna. The committee has been continued under past chairs Harry Panagos and Barbara Manos, past co-chair Nitsa Bruno, current chair Celia Kapsomera, and members Peter Tarhanidis and Gina Sikellis. Each year, the committee also publishes the Politismos journal, which has explored such topics as the 200th anniversary of the Greek War of Independence.
The Parish Council and Stewardship
The Parish Council is led by President George Koutsaftes, with Vice President George Colonias, Treasurer Stefanos Arethas, Assistant Treasurer Theodore Exarhakos, and Secretary Lauren Koniaris. The Council includes Jim Angelides, Peter T. Arbes, Peter Boutsikaris, Leon Carayannopoulos, Christopher Daifotis, AJ Karanikolas, Felicia Karsos, Stephen Ladas, Spiro Leunes, Peter Markos, Peter Pangis, Jon Quintanilla, Penny Mavridis Sales, Dimitri Sidiropoulos, Georgia (Gina) Sikellis, Dean Steele, and Peter Tarhanidis. The Council shares in the liturgical life of the parish, supporting the work of Father Peter and the many ministries.
Stewardship is the financial engine of the parish. The annual Stewardship Commitment Card invites each family to make a pledge of time, talent, and treasure. The recommended annual Stewardship giving for 2025 is $2,200 per steward. The parish's 2025 budget of $981,500 covers worship and ministry, communications, building maintenance, those who serve the parish (clergy and staff), and contributions to national ministries of the Archdiocese. Stewardship gifts may be pledged by check, online at the parish giving page, or through a recurring credit card charge. Donations of securities may also be made through a simple form available on the giving page. A separate Capital Campaign supports major facility projects and may be supported online or by contacting the parish office.
How to Find the Church and Stay Connected
The parish offices are open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The mailing address is 250 Gallows Hill Road, Westfield, NJ 07090-1109. Telephone (908-233-8533), fax (908-233-0623), and email through Diana Waltsak, Office Manager, and Kathy Genakos, Administrative Assistant, route inquiries to the appropriate ministry. Beatriz Ramirez serves as Caretaker of the parish buildings.
Online, the parish maintains a YouTube channel and a Facebook presence where services are livestreamed. The Promise, the parish's monthly newsletter, accepts article submissions through the office. Weekly bulletins are archived online, as are past Father's Day messages, Metropolis encyclicals, and the Daily Readings of the Archdiocese. The online Chapel of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, the Ecclesiastical Calendar, the Live Stream of services, and the option to light a candle or make a stewardship offering online all extend the parish's reach to those at home or traveling.
For Sunday worship, families arrive a few minutes early so that the children can settle in before Orthros begins at 8:15 AM. Visitors are greeted by a Fellowship Hour after the Divine Liturgy, where they can meet members of the parish and pick up information about the many ministries described above. Holy Trinity welcomes anyone who wishes to pray with them, to learn more about the Orthodox Christian faith, or simply to step into a parish that has gathered Greek Orthodox families on Gallows Hill Road for generations.