Parish Clergy: 1929 to the Present
The History Of Our Community: 1931 To The Present
The Beginning
While officially incorporated by the State of New York on June 25, 1931, under the name “Washington Heights Hellenic Orthodox Church, Inc.,” Greek Orthodox faithful residing in upper Manhattan had attempted some years earlier to organize a parish. Services were held in various locations by the Rev. Kanellos Kanellopoulos, and the Church was known as Pantanassa - the Virgin Mary. It was not until the Very Reverend Archimandrite Vaselios Lokis was appointed in 1931 that the church was organized and named Saint Spyridon Church. Nicholas Botsakis, Otto D. Prounis, Marcos Yampanis, George Papaeleas, Evangelos A. Negris, and Socrates Angelson signed the certificate of incorporation.
The faithful congregated initially in a small hall above a theater on St. Nicholas Avenue at 185th Street. Later, they met in a room above a garage on 183rd Street east of Broadway. Holy Rood Episcopalian Church, located at 179th Street and Ft Washington Avenue, made an auditorium available to our parish.
During a general assembly meeting in September 1934, Anthony J. Miller was elected chairman of the real estate committee and charged with acquiring a permanent location for the community. Within weeks, they secured a building on our present property. Initially constructed in 1928 as a Baptist Church, it was subsequently sold and used as a Masonic Temple. The terms of the transaction provided for the rental of the building for three years, with an option to purchase for $50,000. In grateful recognition of his leadership, Mr. Miller was unanimously elected president of the community in December 1934. Others elected to the parish council were Michael Goulandris, George Eliades, Ayisilaso Papachristou, John Staikos, Pierre Psillas, and Jason Chios.
Archimandrite Lokis celebrated the first Divine Liturgy in January 1935. The church was consecrated in March of the same year by Archbishop Athenagoras (later to become Patriarch of Constantinople). During the services, Paul Coufos served as the community's Godfather. In 1936, Rev. Lokis was named Dean of the Annunciation Cathedral in San Francisco. The Rev. Archimandrite Chrysostomos Papalambrou (later titular Bishop of Mirinis) was assigned as pastor. In September of the same year, the purchase of 124 Wadsworth Avenue was finalized. The parish continued to thrive. By 1937, Saint Spyridon Church had grown into one of the largest communities in the Archdiocese, with 850 members. At a general assembly meeting in November 1942, it was reported that membership had increased substantially, and the Sunday School, with 600 students, was the largest in the entire Archdiocese.
During the Great Depression, the Rev. Deacon Theodoros Kokkinakis (later to become Bishop of Boston and Archbishop of Great Britain) was assigned to the parish. To better understand the financial hardships facing the parish during the depression, Rev. Kokkinakis served as deacon, chantor, and secretary of the parish - all for the salary of $90 per month!
The 40s
The 1940s were active years for the community, particularly for young adults. The E.O.N. (Elliniki Orthodoxos Neolaia) was divided into four large groups - Sigmas, Deltas, Alphas, and Omegas. Boy Scout Troop 725 was founded in 1945. The Greek American Youth Group (G.A.Y.S.) was established for young men and women 19-27 years of age. More than 275 students attended the various sessions of the Greek Afternoon School. During these years, the question of where to build a new church and community center was once again discussed. Among the many sites considered were 186th Street from Broadway to Bennett Avenue, 185th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue, and Ft Washington Avenue, across from St. Elizabeth Hospital. The parishioners' consensus was to remain at the 124 Wadsworth Avenue location and to purchase additional property adjacent to the existing building, on which a new church could be constructed.
In 1947, a catastrophic fire destroyed the existing church, but within a few months, it was renovated. Shortly thereafter, two buildings, 653 and 655 West 179th Street, were purchased. In 1949, the architectural firm of Kokkis and Lyras submitted plans for a new church complex, one that would become one of the most magnificent Byzantine churches in the world.
The 50s: The Great Dream: A New Church And School
The community had now reached a most crucial juncture in its history. After many years of preparation, the community was ready to proceed with the construction of the new church. Archbishop Athenagoras decided to reappoint Archimandrite Lokis as pastor of Saint Spyridon Church. An eloquent preacher and a man of vision, Fr. Lokis worked zealously for the realization of the great dream. Serving as his assistant priest was the Rev. John Psillas, a newly ordained priest who was raised in the community.
God blessed the community with two great benefactors, Theodore P. Tsolainos and Constantine Goulandris, who, inspired by their beloved mothers, contributed more than $300,000 toward the completion of this undertaking.
The cornerstone was laid in 1951 by Archbishop Michael, and construction began on one of the most magnificent churches in the Orthodox world. During construction, the parish used the facilities of the Ft George Presbyterian Church. Saint Spyridon Church was officially opened on September 7, 1952, in a most beautiful Thyranoixia Service (Door Opening) celebrated by Archbishop Michael. During the presidency of Mr. Tsolainos, the interior decoration of the new church was undertaken. He personally traveled to Greece to supervise the entire project. The beautiful, handmade iconostasis was purchased for nearly $17,000. The Bishop’s Throne and the Pulpit were purchased shortly thereafter, thanks to the generous donations by several parishioners. The renowned iconographer George Gliatas was commissioned to create the Byzantine artwork. Constantine Yioussis assisted him.
Late in 1953, Archimandrite Lokis suffered a heart attack while working in the church and died shortly thereafter. With the passing of this great spiritual leader, another era of our community had come to an end.
In June 1955, the Rev. John Poulos was appointed as pastor. He was a highly enthusiastic leader, and during his ministry, the preparations for the consecration were made. The long-awaited blessed day arrived on May 4, 1958. Thousands of the faithful attended the memorable service. In September 1958, the Rev. George Roussos, pastor of Saint. George Church in Philadelphia was appointed pastor of Saint Spyridon Church. His rich educational and pastoral experience greatly contributed to a most successful ministry.
During his pastorate and the presidency of George Mikroulis, the community built its Parochial School. Thanks again to our great benefactors, the dream of providing a school for the community where our young men and women could learn their Orthodox faith and cultural roots became a reality. On Palm Sunday, April 26, 1959, Archbishop Iakovos, in the presence of a large congregation, officially opened the Saint Spyridon Parochial School. In recognition of their generous donations, the parish assembly named the school “The Theodore P. Tsolainos - Constantine P. Goulandris Parochial School.”
The 60s, 70s, 80s And 90s
After the appointment of Fr. Roussos, Archbishop Iakovos assigned the Rev. Alkiviadis Calivas as pastor. During his ministry, Fr. Alkiviadis provided dynamic leadership. Together with Rev. Constantine Xanthakis and, later, Rev. George Matsis and Rev. Theodore Stoupis, Fr. Calivas labored tirelessly for the benefit of the community. Among the many projects undertaken were the complete renovation of the church hall and offices, and the installation of air conditioning in the church.
In 1976, Fr. John Psillas returned to Saint Spyridon Church as pastor and assumed spiritual leadership of the congregation. Fr. John was no stranger to the community, and his four years were characterized by much activity and progress. All facets of his ministry were successful. During his pastorate, the community purchased the building at 621 West 179th Street and subsequently renovated the church interior.
Saint Spyridon Church became the largest parish in the United States, with more than 800 members. The Saint Spyridon School graduated hundreds of students, many of whom were admitted to New York City’s specialized high schools and later secured prominent positions in their respective careers.
But by the late 70s and early 80s, it was evident that Washington Heights, along with many other neighborhoods in New York City, was undergoing a dramatic transformation that would have a profound effect on the community. Many Greek families who had called Washington Heights home were now moving to the suburbs, where newer Greek Orthodox communities were being built to serve those parishioners. Saint Spyridon Church, like many other inner-city parishes, experienced a dramatic decline in parishioners. Despite this, the community continued to serve the needs of its parishioners while simultaneously seeking a new role for itself in the 21st century.
With the reassignment of Fr. Psillas, Archbishop Iakovos appointed his Archdeacon, the Rev. Methodios Tournas (now His Eminence Methodios of Boston), as the community’s new pastor. During his pastorate, three additional buildings were purchased across the street from the church. In 1981, Fr. Methodios led the 50th-anniversary celebration of Saint Spyridon Church. Archbishop Iakovos celebrated the exceptional service, attended by hundreds of current and former parishioners. Hugh Carey, then Governor of the State of New York, along with other dignitaries, attended the 50th Anniversary banquet.
Fr. Methodios was elected Bishop of Boston, and Fr. John Poulos was brought back to Saint Spyridon Church. Repairs to the exterior of the church and school were done during this time. Fr. Poulos served for eight years at Saint Spyridon Church and was succeeded by the V. Rev. Chrysanthos Zois. During these years, the community struggled, but survived. When Rev. Anastasios Garaboa was assigned to Saint Spyridon Church, the Saint Spyridon School began offering a Pre-K program, which was funded by the City of New York.
After Fr. Garaboa’s departure, the community was served by several interim pastors, including the then Archimandrite Evangelos Kourounis (now His Eminence Metropolitan Evangelos of Sardes), who was raised in Saint Spyridon Church and who also graduated from its parochial school.
The New Millennium
Rev. Constantine Combitsis, a well-respected clergyman in the New York area, was assigned to Saint Spyridon Church in late 2001. An energetic and enthusiastic community leader, he helped spearhead the 75th Anniversary Celebration in 2006, an event that honored a new major benefactor of the church, Dr. P. Roy Vagelos. Due to his generosity, the church installed a new HVAC system. Dr. Vagelos’ generosity also enabled extensive work on the exterior of the church and school, including pointing and cleaning the stone and installing a new roof. In late 2006, Fr. Combitsis was reassigned to Saint Gerasimos Church in Manhattan.
From 2006 to late 2015, Fr. George Passias served the Saint Spyridon Church community. During that time, Mrs. Jean Milanos gave a generous donation toward the installation of an elevator.
In December 2015, a new Parish Council was formed. Some of these members were the grandchildren of the church's founders. With the assistance of Fr. Evagoras Constandinidis, in April 2016, the Parish Council undertook the much-needed and ambitious task of the complete restoration of the interior of this exquisite Byzantine church.
From 2017 through 2019, Fr. Nicolas Kazarian faithfully served the parish, guiding the community through the completion of essential restoration efforts and strengthening parish life. From 2019 to 2020, the parish was served by the Rev. Fr. Soterios Baroody, followed by the Rev. Fr. George Kazoulis, who served from 2020 to 2021. Each contributed to the continuity of worship, pastoral care, and community engagement during a period of transition for the parish.
Beginning in 2022, the Rev. Fr. Gregory Telemachos Stamkopoulos assumed pastoral leadership of Saint Spyridon. Under his ministry, the parish has experienced renewed growth in sacramental life, catechesis, and participation in the liturgical cycle. The community has continued to welcome long-standing parishioners alongside new members and converts drawn to the Orthodox faith.
Throughout these years, Saint Spyridon has remained committed to its mission of faith, education, and service. Youth programs, philanthropic initiatives, and cultural events have continued to flourish, supported by the dedication of the Parish Council, the Philoptochos Society, and the many volunteers who sustain the church's life.
Today, Saint Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church stands firmly rooted in its historic legacy while looking confidently toward the future. Serving as a spiritual home for generations of faithful in Upper Manhattan, the parish continues its witness to Orthodox Christian faith, tradition, and community in the heart of New York City.
As the parish approaches a major milestone, preparations are underway for the 95th Anniversary of Saint Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church, to be formally commemorated with a Gala celebration scheduled for 2026. This forthcoming event reflects the community’s desire to honor nearly a century of continuous Orthodox Christian life, service, and witness in Upper Manhattan. The planned celebration stands as a testament to the vitality of the parish and its commitment to preserving its spiritual, cultural, and philanthropic legacy while looking with confidence toward the future.
