06 Οκτωβρίου, 2019 - 16:51

Changes at Holy Trinity Parish of Chicago After Sale of Nave and Property

Διαδώστε:

The historic Holy Trinity parish of Chicago whose nave and its properties were sold a few days ago due to debts and unpaid loans, is seeking a new House of Worship, according to a statement issued recently by the Metropolis and the Holy Trinity Community.

The statement says among other things, that “the Metropolis of Chicago will continue to work with the parish to assist in its search for a new spiritual home appropriate for worship, prayer, and fellowship.” It also says that “upon the request of His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael, the Parish Council members have offered their collective resignations” and that “an interim Parish Council will be appointed by the Metropolitan.”
Also, “a new parish priest will be assigned in the near future. Until such time as a new priest is assigned to the parish, together with the interim Parish Council, the Very Reverend Timothy Bakakos, Chancellor of the Metropolis of Chicago, will oversee the administrative concerns of the parish.”

The statement also says that “the Metropolis of Chicago asks the faithful of the Metropolis to continue its prayers for and support of the Holy Trinity community throughout the transition.”

It is reminded here that the Holy Trinity parish despite its problems and its dire financial condition had two salaried priests, Fr. Nicholas Jonas and Fr. George Kaloudis.

The Metropolitan was interviewed by The National Herald on September 22. An excerpt follows:

“TNH: Given the withering of the parish why is it sustaining two salaried priests, Fr. George Kaloudis and Fr. Nicholas Jonas? Can’t just one of them serve its needs?

M.N: You have asked me this question in the past and I promised you that I would look into it. I am grateful for your patience. We have recently identified a letter (dated June 15, 2017) from the Metropolis to the parish which outlines the most recent terms of employment of Fr. George. The parish was expected to provide Fr. George a reduced salary until July 2019. At the end of this period, the parish was to determine if these terms were feasible according to its condition and needs. The Parish Council President and Fr. Nicholas Jonas have addressed this matter with us during our most recent meeting at the Metropolis. Given the condition of the community, there does not appear to be a need for two salaried priests moving forward.”

It is reminded here that Metropolitan Nathanael inherited the problem of the Holy Trinity parish from his predecessor the late Metropolitan Iakovos and his chancellor Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos. Nathanael has been at helm of the Metropolis of Chicago for eighteen months. Indicative of the condition of the parish was its phthisis, reflected in numbers of parishioners. Specifically, Nathanael was asked how many families does the Holy Trinity parish have today, he answered: “Given that the faithful oftentimes are members in multiple parishes (sometimes across multiple States), it is difficult to have an accurate picture of the number of parishioners of Holy Trinity. At the most recent General Assembly meeting of the parish, which I attended on June 2, 2019, there were only approximately 45 members present, which were not enough for a quorum.”

Source: thenationalherald.com

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