The historic parish of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church on Chicago’s northwest side is weeks away from foreclosure, according to an announcement made by Fr. Nicholas Jonas, the parish priest.
In the announcement, made via Fr. Jonas’ public Facebook page, he states that “Chicago’s 121 year old historic Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, because of the economic and legal pressures hurled against her in recent years, has received a judgement of foreclosure.”
On December 14, 2018 at 10:30am, Fr. Jonas continued, “the title of the property on Diversey must be delivered to MB Financial Bank. Our Church, together with the building that until a few years ago was SOCRATES school, will unjustly go into the hands of the bank.”
Fr. Jonas has called for all of the people who have been touched by the parish over the decades, to come together for a special service the night before the bank is to take hold of the property.
The Pappas Post reached out to Metropolitan Nathanael, head of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago for comment.
According to Metropolitan Nathanael, “The Metropolis has been working with the Church (Holy Trinity) on this matter for years, and that as the new Metropolitan, I established a special ad hoc committee, per Archdiocesan regulations, to determine the best path forward for the Church given the recent turn of events.”
Holy Trinity has weathered many storms during its century-plus history. In recent decades the composition of the neighborhood has changed and Greek bakeries, butcher shops and families have moved, altering the demographics of the once-thriving Greek neighborhood.
The parish also has an ongoing conflict with its school, the Hellenic American Academy, which was originally founded in 1907 as the Socrates School and was the first full time Greek school in the United States.
Numerous lawsuits over money and property matters have split the community, including a recent suit filed by the Church against the School and a former parish leader in late September.
Fr. Jonas’ full Facebook post:
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8 comments
Very sad! Lots of memories!
Its not over yet, there is a go fund me site !
Fight the odds, be a Leonidas. Unite the city-churches ! Faith is an action of love Mightier when displayed amidst chaos !
Father Kaloudis and his family ran this church into the ground. For years Father Kaloudis has consistently put his personal interests before the church and its parishioners. Father Kaloudis has milked this church into bankruptcy. Father Kaloudis, out of jealousy and spite, refused to talk to or have anything to do with Father Malamis who was very much liked by the people of Holy Trinity, ultimately running him out of Holy Trinity to preserve his hide. The Archdiocese needs to address priests who think the Church is there to serve them, rather than the priest is there to serve the Church. Father Kaloudis takes no responsibility for the fall of this church, and is actively engaged is a misinformation, and disinformation campaign to distract people from the true cause of the current state of affairs. Shameful!
I’m sorry J. Pappas you are VERY WRONG INDEED!!!! There are other factors you haven’t considered! Don’t you dare put the blame game on Father k!!
Malaka! Gamisou!
A.Chominski – Unfortunately, what J.Pappas describes is the truth.
1. There was an overwhelmingly approved plan by the greater community to buy a property in Deerfield, IL as the chosen and preferred site by His Eminence Iakovos at the time, Father George and the Holy Trinity community.
2. Father George Kaloudis was very much a part of all the decisions, including the decision to move the Church (eventually); starting with the school.
3. They elected and re-nominated the parish council President at the time to see the plan through 5 times over a 10 year period (with special approval from Father Kaloudis and the Metropolis to keep extending him). No joke, the same man they are suing today in a desperate attempt to save face and use as a scapegoat for their shortcomings.
4. They brought in Father Sotiri Malamis to eventually become presiding priests once Father George retired and Holy Trinity re-located to Deerfield (at Father George’s request mind you)
5. The plan was going very well despite economic pressures (you may recall 2007-2012 was an especially tough period); the school and church were fundraising to a degree where it could support the operation of the school and church; in addition to a fairly reliable and large sum of or in annual revenue that was coming in at the church location from a Chicago Public Schools lease to rent the old school portion of the building. The lease also covered utilities costs for the entire building, including the church, on top of all the operational costs (including Father Kaloudis’ salary; which was very healthy given the recommended pay scales of the Metropolis and despite the $ needed to support this plan)
6. In 2012, out of jealousy and spite for Father Sotiri and the success of the plan from 2004-2012 (which was being largely driven by Father Sotiri’s appeal as more people were joining the church and school because of him); Father Kaloudis and his family, as well as a minority group of parishioners sabotaged the entire plan. Their sabotage included Father Kaloudis changing his mind on retirement (deciding he wanted to continue to collect a paycheck ongoing), doing everything possible to make Father Sotiri’s ministry miserable and force him to seek a re-assignment, as well as brainwashing several past members of the community to come back and join the Parish Council in order to undo and obstruct all the progress and change course. He succeeded is many ways, as he was able to see his sabotage plan through. However, unfortunately at the expense of the community and church which is now in foreclosure.
7. Father Sotiri grew tired of Father Kaloudis’s antics and sadly, he Father Kaloudis got his way. The Metropolis sat quiet and assisted in the sabotage with Bishop Demetrios leading the way. Father Sotiri was re-assigned and a mass exodus driven by uncertainty stemming from this change. The mass exodus left the church and school in a more difficult position; the school was able to prevail given its fundraising efforts was able to successfully re-establishing itself independently. The school is no longer on the Deerfield property the church bought and is renting at a new location in Deerfield thanks to some wonderful community members who stepped in to save the school when the church did the most unthinkable thing of evicting students mid school year. The church was not able to overcome its financial hardships, as they now have fewer than 100 families as stewards who give very little to the church monetarily. Of those 100 families, 20 are active members who are loyal to the Kaloudis family. Ironically, their current Parish Council President was one of the original endorsers and supporters of this plan, but sold his soul to the Kaloudis clan and now is puppet-ed in front of cameras by them to do their dirty work.
Make no mistake about it, one man’s decision, his greed, his family and friends largely led to the position Holy Trinity is now, and it is not the person being wrongfully sued in a malicious extortion attempt that will fail or the community members that Father Kaloudis forced out after he made his calculating decision to force Father Sotiri out, and upend the grand plan.
J. Pappas and S. Zikas are perfect examples of what is wrong with this community. Hanging around like two arxedia waiting for the right moment to spew their anonymous hatred.
Sad, But I have to believe, Pappas and Zikas, Even thou I don’t belong to this church, I have Greek friends, and they agree you have created your own problem.